PHUTI MOSOMANE
KWAZULU-NATAL Education MEC, Mbali Frazer, says that building a stronger working relationship with teacher unions is crucial to ensuring stability in education.
Frazer was addressing the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) KZN 6th annual excellence awards in Durban on Friday.
“Today’s celebration of excellence in the education sector has further cemented my belief that the Department of Education’s strong partnerships with teachers’ unions and parents are essential for the stability of the education system in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Frazer.
As the biggest union in the sector, Frazer said SADTU plays a critical role in transforming the education sector.
“We value our relationship with SADTU and appreciate our meaningful engagements and collaborations as a critical partner in the delivery of quality education in our great province of KwaZulu-Natal,” she said.
Frazer said the province will continue supporting efforts by the union to advance professional development of educators and improve efficiency in the education sector.
“Your dedication, hard work, and tireless efforts in shaping the lives of our learners have not gone unnoticed, and we applaud you for your unwavering commitment to education. Wherever you go in the world, a functional education system begins with a dedicated qualified teacher and an efficient curriculum,” she said.
She said educators are the unsung heroes of our society, shaping the minds and futures of our learners.
“Their commitment never wavers even in the most challenging times as we saw with last year’s floods and the Covid-19 pandemic which presented unprecedented challenges to our education system.”
“During the height of Covid SADTU members were among those at the forefront of adapting to the new reality of remote and hybrid learning,” she said.
She said teachers showed remarkable resilience, innovation, and creativity in ensuring that no learner is left behind: “For that, we all applaud you.”
KwaZulu-Natal’s matric class of 2022 achieved 83% pass rate and showed remarkable improvement in the quality of results.
The significant contribution of SADTU, she said, as the largest union in the education sector, particularly in KZN province, made all of this possible
“I pledge to continue to support and work with SADTU to create an enabling environment that allows all our educators to excel,” she said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
