Western Cape Education Department To Appoint 500 Grade R Teachers Permanently

The Western Cape Department of Education (WCDE) has announced that starting on January 1, 2023, it would award up to 500 competent Grade R teachers permanent positions with service benefits in recognition of World Teachers’ Day, which is on Wednesday.

This, according to the government, is a part of the Western Cape’s commitment to enhancing early learning and increasing access to Grade R. This represents the value of Grade R as a component of the foundation phase, which has been highlighted as a priority by our department, and is a significant step forward.

According to the department, early learning is extremely important for a child’s subsequent academic performance.

“If we want to see better performance in later school years, notably matric, we must make sure the essentials are in place at this time.”

The employment offer, according to the department, is open to instructors who already have subsidised Grade R jobs at schools and possess the necessary teaching credentials to be recruited as post-level 1 teachers.

According to the WCDE, the hiring of these instructors will add around R321 million to the grade R budget over the course of the next three years.

It complements the actions we have previously done to enhance foundation phase results, including as the extension of reading and math instruction time to make up for learning losses caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.

On September 27, 2022, a thorough circular explaining the conditions and procedure to be followed for the appointments was delivered to schools.

These instructors will have to submit their documentation for review, which must be submitted to the appointment system by October 14, 2022, according to the department.

A qualifying procedure that will enable underqualified Grade R practitioners to acquire the necessary credentials for appointment is now under progress.

The department stated that the action “demonstrates our unwavering commitment to promoting early learning in our province and to supporting our teachers who play such a critical role in our children’s lives.”