More than 1 000 teachers did not show up for the first day of the second term – because they were exhausted.
|||More than 1 000 teachers did not show up for the first day of the second term on Tuesday because they were exhausted from playing sport over Easter.
The Professional Educators Union sent a letter to various schools a week ago saying their members would be participating in the fifth Annual Association of non-aligned teachers Unions of Southern Africa (Antusa) games, which took place in Windhoek, Namibia.
The letter said the union would be sending 1 200 members, who would be taking part in both sporting and cultural activities taking place from April 6 to 9.
“Owing to fatigue and exhaustion due to long travelling distances from Windhoek to South Africa, the union applied for time off for members who will be unable to report for duty on April 10, 2012,” the letter signed by general secretary Ben Machipi read.
When asked about the day off, Machipi told The Star the teachers had applied for annual leave to recover from travelling.
He said about 800 teachers from all around the country had attended the sporting event. Teachers took part in soccer, netball and volleyball contests.
“It is an annual event, but this year it overlapped with the start of school,” said Machipi.
He said the union pays for members who take part in the games, but spectators pay for themselves.
A frustrated principal at a school in the south of Joburg said it was nonsense that the teachers who went to the event applied for annual leave.
“They call it union time,” said the principal. “Every time there is a union function they are using school time. It used to be Sadtu, but they don’t do it anymore. Now it is the Professional Educators Union who are doing it.” The principal said he felt it was ridiculous that an employee could be allowed to take a day off because they were exhausted.
“Most people go away for the Easter weekend, but they are back at work afterwards,” he said.
“The curriculum is structured in such a way that every school day must be utilised,” said DA MPL for education Khume Ramulifho. “All this is doing is taking time away from learners, and the result is poor pass rates.”
Gauteng Department of Education spokesman Charles Phahlane said they would be investigating, as the union did not ask for permission to take days off.
The Star