500 Grade R teachers appointed in KZN: Unions welcome the move but highlight serious concerns

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education’s announcement of 500 new Grade R teacher appointments, set to begin on April 1, 2026, has drawn a mixed reaction from teacher unions, which broadly welcomed the move but voiced serious concerns about the limited number and the long delay since the initial promise.

The appointments were confirmed by Education MEC Siboniso Hlomuka on Thursday, who hailed the recruitment as a “significant milestone” in strengthening early childhood development and implementing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, which makes Grade R compulsory.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) Provincial Secretary in KZN, Nomarashiya Caluza, expressed excitement but stressed that the focus must now be on permanently absorbing all qualified Grade R practitioners.

“For some time, we have been calling for the department to implement what it promised years ago,” Caluza said.

She highlighted the critical difference that permanent employment will make for educators who have been working without benefits.

“We now bank on the full implementation of the BELA Act because through it, all Grade R practitioners will be fully employed and made permanent. When they are permanent, they will get access to the many benefits that all other government employees enjoy, including medical aid, pension, housing allowance, etc.”

However, the National Teachers Union (Natu) President, Sibusiso Malinga, was far more critical of the timing and scale of the appointments, labelling the delay as “long overdue” and the 500 new posts a mere “drop in the ocean”.

Malinga recalled that the appointment was first announced by former Education MEC Mbali Frazer in 2022, questioning the nearly four-year lag.

He stated that the delay has had devastating consequences for long-serving educators.

“The delay has impacted a number of our teachers because, since 2022, a lot of these teachers have retired without any benefits,” Malinga stated, clarifying that many practitioners have been working without pension or medical aid.

Malinga explained that thousands of existing Grade R teachers in the province, who are still working on annual contracts, will not benefit from this round of permanent appointments.

He noted that every primary school in KZN has a Grade R educator, making 500 appointments inadequate for the total need.

“Those who have not been absorbed yet by the department are still struggling. Their contracts are renewed annually, and they are also exploited by the Department of Education and school governing bodies as well,” he added.

Malinga further argued that the government has “put the cart before the horse” by proceeding with the BELA implementation without first addressing fundamental resource deficits.

“The issue of the implementation of the BELA Bill speaks to many things, that is, the issue of infrastructure. We do not have adequate infrastructure that will accommodate Grade R pupils and teachers accordingly,” he said, citing widespread issues with dilapidated schools and a shortage of money in the provincial budget.

Both unions, while welcoming the step toward professionalisation for the 500 educators, agreed that a much greater political will and budgetary allocation are needed to fully integrate all qualified Grade R practitioners and ensure the success of early childhood education in the province.

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) Provincial Chief Executive, Thirona Moodley, said the union is relieved that the department has finally absorbed these Grade R practitioners into permanent posts.

Moodley stated that they are all qualified educators, many of whom have served the department for many years, earning stipends with no benefits.

“At this point, it is a step in the right direction; however, there are many more such educators whom the department must convert to permanent positions,” she said.

She reiterated that the BELA Bill makes Grade R compulsory and that these educators are qualified, meaning every school needs a qualified Grade R teacher.

“Grade R funding must be compulsory as this grade requires more Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) than other grades. Our Grade Rs must be stimulated to learn, and all the resources must be provided,” said Moodley.

Naptosa considers this the first phase, and the union stated it will ensure that all Grade R practitioners are converted in an incremental way.

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