Dispatch
*Pupils protest over lack of teachers * *Msindisi Fengu, Dispatch, East London, 22 February 2012*TWO weeks after Cosatu and government brokered a deal to salvage the jobs of 4000 temporary teachers in the Eastern Cape, a South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) official said not a single teacher had been reinstated.
And while the department of education's move to reinstate temporary teachers across the province appeared to have stalled, classes at an East London school came to an abrupt halt yesterday as pupils vented their anger over the matter.
Close to 1500 John Bisseker High School pupils burnt books and refused to attend classes, calling for the reinstatement of nine temporary teachers whose contracts ended last year.
The pupils said they had had enough of "politicking" as 500 students across all grades in the school were reportedly left without teachers for maths, accounting, life science, tourism, English, natural sciences and technology.
On average there are 40 to 50 pupils in a classroom at the school.Cosatu and the government announced a settlement two weeks ago to salvage about 4000 temporary teachers' posts.
But the Daily Dispatch has established that by yesterday not one teacher had been reinstated.
A memo declaring that teachers be reinstated has been circulated, but according to Sadtu the temporary teachers had not yet returned to schools.
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said Sadtu had alerted him to the delays in reinstating the teachers, however he said the agreement between unions and government had made what was to happen "categorically clear".
Vavi said he did not know what was holding back the reinstatement of teachers.
"I'm going to double check with the premier and the MEC," he said.Yesterday, education MEC Mandla Makupula said he had "performed" his "political responsibilities" by effecting the reinstatement of the temporary teachers and reactivating the bargaining process.
"Now what is happening are the admin matters that are being resolved within the bargaining chamber."
He said he was still awaiting reports from the education superintendent-general Modidima Mannya.
"The stance of government has been the filling of substantive vacant posts," he said, adding that he had no further details and referred questions to Mannya.
Makupula said part of the deal was for Sadtu to withdraw their court challenge compelling government to reinstate temporary teachers.
Contacted for further comment yesterday, Mannya declined to comment.Sadtu provincial secretary Mncekeleli Ndongeni said they had received reports that temporary teachers were not at schools in the province.
Asked about the clause that stated that Sadtu should withdraw their court case, Ndongeni said:"The agreement is clear that temporary teachers were to be reinstated within 48 hours. If there aren't temporary teachers at schools, anything else doesn't matter."
Attempts to get a comment from provincial government spokesman Mahlubandile Qwase were unsuccessful.
With close to four weeks to the end of the first term, some schools in the province are still hamstrung by a shortage of teachers after the temporary posts were terminated in December.
Vavi had struck a deal with Makupula and Premier Noxolo Kiviet after teachers affiliated to Sadtu embarked on protracted go-slows at schools at the beginning of the year.
A desperate John Bisseker school governing body chairman DevlonStrydom said they had reachedcrisis point.
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