Pupils demand teachers

Zandile Mbabela and Hendrick Mphande

THE Eastern Cape Education Department is desperately trying to scrape together money to fund the appointment of teachers to address the crippling shortage that has gripped schools in the province.

Following a wave of protests by parents and school governing bodies, the department – which had cited a lack of funds as the reason for the decrease in teacher posts this year – is on a mission to solicit financial help from the provincial government.

Schools have been struggling with massive teacher shortages, resulting in some cramming more than 100 pupils into a class.

Yesterday, hundreds of pupils and parents from John Walton Secondary School, in Uitenhage, descended on the district offices to hand over a memorandum of demand for teachers.