DA calls on home affairs to allow foreign teachers back in SA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has called on the province’s MEC for education, Polly Boshielo, to engage Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to allow about 400 foreign gateway subject teachers working in Limpopo back into the country.

The party said its concerns stem from a recent education portfolio committee meeting where it was revealed that the province has about 400 gateway subject teachers, mostly from Zimbabwe, who cannot re-enter the province through the border due to cross-border travel restrictions on Covid-19 and lockdown regulations.

The Citizen can confirm that gateway subjects refer to mathematics, physical science, economics, agricultural sciences, geography and accounting which are considered critical for the country’s development and economic growth.

DA provincial leader Jacques Smalle said the subjects were critical for entrance into higher education programmes that will offer greater availability of job opportunities.

“The failure of these gateway subject teachers to enter the country and resume work will have a negative effect on the preparation of pupils for their final exams and their chances to achieve good marks,” said Smalle.

“The impact of the failure of these teachers to resume work is further compounded by the fact that almost half the school year has been lost due to Covid-19 lockdown.

“In the 2019 National Senior Certificate exams, Limpopo had lower percentages than the national averages of pupils who achieved 30% and above in all 11 of the gateway subjects.”

Smalle said the gateway teachers should be allowed to re-enter the country as a matter of urgency, given their contribution to the education of pupils in the province and the high demand for their skills.

He said the impact of Covid-19 on the schooling year should see gateway subject teachers being viewed as critical skills and they should be allowed back into the country, provided that they have valid work permits and have undergone the necessary screening processes.

“The DA is committed to ensuring that the pupils in Limpopo receive a quality education and are not left behind in the current academic year.

“We will continue to monitor the developments around this matter.”

Attempts to obtain comment from the MEC were not successful as she was in a meeting but Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha told the provincial coronavirus command council that all grades in the province were hard at work.

He said teachers and pupils were working line with timetables each school has adopted.

“Some of the concerns registered by the department was absenteeism from classes due to fear of Covid-19 infection, anxiety and other health conditions,” said Mathabatha.

“Gender-based violence has also been raised as one common denominator within communities where schools are based.”

The gateway subject teachers matter was not raised in the meeting.

Gateway subject teachers are critical skills