Sadtu welcomes teacher training, but model should be re-examined

The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) welcomed plans to provide extra training for teachers, but said the model should be examined thoroughly.

This follows a report by Afrikaans daily Beeld that the basic education department has recommended that Grade eight and nine maths teachers would attend extra lessons once a week.

The teachers would reportedly get extra training 23 days a year.

Sadtu said the programme would affect time-tabling and increase teachers' workloads.

"The absence of teachers for a day would lead to disruptions as some learners would not be attended to," the union said.

"Schools need to be effective every day."

It said the department should take into account that teachers taught more than one grade and more than one subject.

"This plan of the department will solve a crisis by creating another crisis."

Sadtu called on the department to consult teacher trade unions on the training so a solution could be found.