Removing unqualified teachers would create a 'crisis' in SA

More than 5‚000 underqualified or unqualified teachers are teaching mathematics‚ sciences‚ technology and African languages.

They cannot be eliminated from South Africa’s basic education system because there is a tremendous shortage of teachers‚ Business Day reported on Tuesday.

Removing unqualified teachers from the system would create a crisis‚ said Department of Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga.

Unqualified teachers’ highest qualification is matric while underqualified teachers had post-matric qualifications but less than three years of on-the-job training.

"They are teaching in critical [areas] ... where there is a shortage [of teachers]‚" said Mhlanga.