SADTU draft input on WHITE PAPER No. 5 on early childhood development
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/176156 , vital:42665
- Description: SADTU welcomes the release of White Paper No. 5 on Early Childhood Development. We thank the Ministry and Department of Education for affording us this opportunity to make an input. We are however concerned that the process during its development excluded stakeholder participation.
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- Date Issued: 2001
SADTU standard terms and conditions of employment
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Apr 1999
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118008 , vital:34584
- Description: These terms and conditions of employment govern the employment of all permanent employees at the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU). These standard terms and conditions do not apply to temporary, part- time or fixed-term contract employees.
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- Date Issued: Apr 1999
Globlisation, structural adjustmentand education
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178613 , vital:42960
- Description: Globalisation of finance: restructuring of capital such as global financial speculation, mergers + closures). Globalisation of production: restructuring of work (changing processes and location of production), restructuring of labour markets (structural unemployment, rise in part-time and casual workers and homeworkers). Globalisation of culture: dominance of ‘American lifestyles’. Globalisation of the state (government): restructuring of the state (state following rather than compensating for ‘free-market logic’, restrictions on trade union freedoms and political rights, shifts away from national control over resources and policies to international structures such as WTO, IMF, World Bank).
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- Date Issued: 1997
WCED causes crisis in education
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/162052 , vital:40752
- Description: On 15 December 1997 the WCED tabled a proposal in the ELRC. This would effectively terminate the contracts of 3333 temporary educators who were filling vacant substantive posts that were created after 1 July 1996 as a result of the rationalisation process. Not only will temporary educators be dismissed, but the posts that they occupy will be frozen. This means that the teachers who remain behind at schools will have increased workloads and will have to manage bigger class sizes
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- Date Issued: 1997
SADTU Bulletin
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Jan 1996
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134604 , vital:37182
- Description: Teachers in the Western Cape joined the SADTU strike in 1993 to fight the retrenchment of teachers. This was the De Klerk government’s interpretation of rationalisation. The National Party’s approach was as follows : It was UNILATERAL. Teachers were not consulted. It was UNIMAGINATIVE. Retrenching teachers was seen as the only option. It BRANDED our labour action as immoral and unlawful whilst refusing to extend the LRA3 to teachers. It was RACIST. Only ex-HoR teachers were to be retrenched. It was a consequence of the Education Renewal Strategy and designed to anticipate an ANC take over and it was seen a last ditched attempt to maintain and protect the privileges of the white ruling class. It was an ATTACK on SADTU. Retrenchment affected mostly temporary, and in some cases, permanent post-level 1 teachers. The bulk of SADTU’s membership falls into these categories. What added insult to injury, was that more promotion posts were created. Senior heads of departments became deputy principals, and more Heads of Department posts were created. Consequently, millions of rands were wasted.
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- Date Issued: Jan 1996
SADTU's Major three year capacity building programme
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134593 , vital:37180
- Description: SADTU has planned to launch a major capacity building programme in 1996. SADTU is a young union. Formed in 1990 as the only non-racial, non-sexist and democratic teachers’ union in South Africa, SADTU was viewed as a champion of teacher rights and thus the ideal organisation to campaign for transformative change. Consequently there was a significant shift of membership from established teacher associations. SADTU grasped this initiative and was able to earn an enviable position in educational struggles. The Union’s tremendous growth in size however has meant more responsibility at all organisational levels. Teachers’ demands and expectations have increased in the post apartheid era. Also the demands of educational reconstruction have become more complex. The country’s constitution and the new political demarcations have necessitated a realignment of our structures. The creation of nine provincial education departments with concurrent powers with the National Ministry of Education has introduced still more challenges for the Union. SADTU is now faced with the task of co-ordinating its activities at five levels, namely: National, Provincial, Regional, Branch and Site.
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- Date Issued: 1996
A review of SADTU Congress
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134551 , vital:37177
- Description: The Third SADTU Congress, held at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, was attended by over 800 delegates, representing 100 000 teachers country-wide. Delegates were elected at Branch level, ensuring grass roots participation in the highest decision making body of the Union. The Congress served to confirm SADTU’s position as the largest teacher Union in the country, and demonstrated a strongly unified focus around the theme: “Unionise and Reconstruct for Teacher Empowerment”. The success of any Congress must be measured against the aims it sets itself. Our Congress had two aims: to elect new leadership for the next two years, and to adopt resolutions which would inform the direction and programmes of the Union in this period. While we successfully completed the former task, we could only make a start on the second aspect - confirming the fact that the period we are entering is far more complex than before, and in need of extensive analysis and debate. We therefore mandated the SADTU National Council to formalise the adoption of resolutions arising from the reports. A Special National Council was convened on 25/26 August, with extended participation by regions, and the Congress report can now be finalised.
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- Date Issued: 1995
Organisation Building Workshop Report
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Nov 1995
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/137734 , vital:37554
- Description: Summary Report on SADTU Organisation Building Workshop held on Friday 17 November - Bellville College of Education: There were approximately 40 participants representing the leadership of most SADTU branches in the Region. As per the programme, the purpose of the workshop was " to develop an organising and recruitment strategy with the aim of building capacity and to resuscitate union structures..." As with most strategy and organisational building attempts it is often difficult to ascertain what the organisational problems are which are within members/workshop participants own capabilities of solving. From the outset it is important to ensure the distinction between real organisational problems and perceived ones. Failure to ensure this would cause that the participants and the regional leadership could be found wanting, "barking up the wrong tree". It is for this reason that the opening exercise of the workshop was extremely usefull in ensuring an organisational assessment and isolating key problems. Participants were divided into five groups, A - E. Their task was to identify which animal most aptly represented SADTU, nationally and especially regionally. The groups were required to debate and reach concensus on the choice of animal and motivate fully. Participants tackled the task with enthusiasm, were very creative and seemed to enjoy the exercise. Groups were then to report back to a plenary session in the form of a drawing of their animals and a list of points motivating their choice. The idea was that the plenary session would debate the choices and try to reach concensus on the most representative animal.
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- Date Issued: Nov 1995
SADTU News - A review of SADTU Congress
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118030 , vital:34586
- Description: The Third SADTU Congress, held at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, was attended by over 800 delegates, representing 100 000 teachers country-wide. Delegates were elected at Branch level, ensuring grass roots participation in the highest decision making body of the Union. The Congress served to confirm SADTU’s position as the largest teacher Union in the country, and demonstrated a strongly unified focus around the theme: “Unionise and Reconstruct for Teacher Empowerment”. The success of any Congress must be measured against the aims it sets itself. Our Congress had two aims: to elect new leadership for the next two years, and to adopt resolutions which would inform the direction and programmes of the Union in this period. While we successfully completed the former task, we could only make a start on the second aspect - confirming the fact that the period we are entering is far more complex than before, and in need of extensive analysis and debate. We therefore mandated the SADTU National Council to formalise the adoption of resolutions arising from the reports. A Special National Council was convened on 25/26 August, with extended participation by regions, and the Congress report can now be finalised.
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- Date Issued: 1995
SADTU News - Model C Schools
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/161012 , vital:40580
- Description: Model C Schools have created great controversy in recent educational policy debate. SADTU has joined the fray in opposition to the retention of these schools. Model C is a particular type of state aided school which is different to state aided schools like the farm schools that came under the authority of the former black Department of Education and Training (DET). The latter schools were mostly poorly resourced and inadequately staffed. Model C schools are state aided schools that have governing bodies elected by the parents, with power over a number of key functions of the school. These include control over admissions policy, the power to charge compulsory school fees and to raise funds by other means (e.g. renting out the school's property), the power to decide how the school's money is to be spent (e.g. school maintenance, the hiring of additional teachers and other staff, the buying of books and equipment, and the power to exercise influence over the hiring and disciplining of teachers). The system is unique among state- aided schools in that Model Cs are all former state schools in the privileged white school system. Nearly all inherited a sound infrastructure provided largely by the state in the form of school buildings, grounds, libraries, laboratories etc. They also inherited a well qualified teaching staff, whose training (the best in the country) was also partly the result of public subsidies. Model C has several strengths which has led to the ongoing controversy. Parental participation in the schooling of their children has been mobilised. The governing bodies actually have power over important aspects of the school in contrast to the old comparatively toothless management councils. This, it appears, has ensured that parents, whether they approve of Model C or not, take them much more seriously since the governing bodies can take decisions which materially affect them and their children's education. In addition, this model has mobilised private resources for education and ensured that a relatively high level of provision can be maintained while state funding is decreased. Money thus saved by the state - reportedly about R1 billion - can be diverted to redressing the inadequacies of African education.
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- Date Issued: 1995
SADTU's third national congress
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Jul 1995
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134562 , vital:37178
- Description: The Third Biennial Congress of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) is one of the most important national events in the short but eventful history of this giant teacher union. This Congress takes place against the backround of unprecedented political transformation which was ushered in by the dawn of a new democracy in April 1994. History will proudly record Sadtu as one of those pioneering allies who fought resiliently to liberate the masses of our people and to eradicate Apartheid education and all its vestiges. This Congress, scheduled to be convened during the period 11-13 July 1995, will be graced by the presence of more that 700 accredited Sadtu delegates, 100 national observers and 20 international guests. This, in fact, will be the largest assembly of delegates at a Sadtu Congress since inception. Since its inception in 1990 Sadtu has been steadfast and persistent in its resolve to transform the education system in our country. The early 1990’s were an era of heightened levels of teacher consciousness which highlighted the plight of the South African teacher. It was during this period and thereafter that thousands of teachers swelled the ranks of Sadtu as it was viewed as a champion of teacher rights and an ideal vehicle for transformative changes as espoused by the teacher at the grassroots level. This significant shift of membership from established teacher associations disturbed the balance of power in the education terrain. In grasping the strategic initiative Sadtu was able to earn an enviable position in educational struggles.
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- Date Issued: Jul 1995
Message for 1994 to SADTU members from SADTU President, Shepherd Mdladlana
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Feb 1994
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134684 , vital:37189
- Description: The year 1993 was a year of test and struggle for SADTU. As President of SADTU I believe that we have passed the gruesome test and successfully concluded our struggle against the Apartheid regime. I want to commend and congratulate our regions, branches and the entire membership for remaining vigilant against apartheid education and its bureaucratic structures in order to defend the rights of teachers. You must remember that your success is most vital because SADTU is the only teachers’ union that had the ability and the capacity to fight against 19 education departments. Various issues faced us in 1993. At the beginning of 1993 F.W. de Klerk closed salary negotiations. Because of our campaigns these negotiations were re-opened. We opened the door for all teachers irrespective of membership. All other teachers’ organisations had accepted the closure by the State President of negotiations and the meagre offer of 5% as a reality. Rationalisation programmes went ahead in the HOR/HOD/HOA, again because of the insistence of the leader of the NP, F.W. de Klerk, that all departments must rationalise and cut back. This unfortunately was effected by retrenching thousands of teachers. Although our campaigns were unsuccessful in as far as stopping these programmes, we have succeeded in developing alternative strategies in this regard for a Post Apartheid government.
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- Date Issued: Feb 1994
Message from the President - Mr. B B Mabandla
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Jul 1994
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134573 , vital:37179
- Description: On behalf of SADTU I wish to thank teachers generally and members of the Union in particular, for their valuable contribution to the success of the recent elections, The Union’s stated commitment to educate the masses on voting was demonstrated by the large numbers of our members who were involved in voter education in their respective communities. In spite of the high rate of illiteracy, there was a negligible number of spoilt papers. I also wish to congratulate Professor S .M.E. Bengu on being appointed National Minister of Education. We assure him and his colleagues in the provinces of the Union’s support as long as their dealings with teachers is democratic and not patronising. To all our Comrades who made it to parliament - both regionally and nationally - Congratulations! It is with a sense of pride and achievement that we South Africans of all persuasions, were able to pull off this remarkable feat that has ushered in, what appeared to some, an unattainable dream.
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- Date Issued: Jul 1994
Forward to one education department
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/155115 , vital:39856
- Description: As the elected minute secretary, from the Second AGC 1992, I took over the portfolio as acting Regional Secretary when Mundisa Sinuka resigned in October 1992. In SADTU, we can only have a successful union if all our branches are functioning effectively and our members are committed. Members on the ground have been demotivated and this makes our task all the more difficult. Branches tend to work during times of crisis and it should be borne in mind that SADTU is not a crisis union but is there to educate, bur id. protect and defend the rights of teachers.
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- Date Issued: 1993
SADTU - Teachers strike back
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: June 1993
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134635 , vital:37185
- Description: During the past few months, we experienced the mass mobilisation of 70 000 teachers, nationally. This collective showing of unity and strength forced the State to listen to the grievances of teachers. In the Western Cape, militant teachers took to the streets to picket, held successful sit-ins at Regional Offices, participated in mass marches and rallies. We saw unprecedented mass mobilisation of teachers on three occasions. Firstly, a SADTU meeting at the Athlone Civic Centre where a resolution was adopted to intensify ttie campaign against unilateral restructuring and retrenchments. Secondly, after consultations with other teacher organisations in the Western Cape, we embarked on an ‘ambitious’ plan of uniting all organisations against rationalisation, merit awards and our fight for a Living Wage. This culminated in the historic meeting at the Good Hope Centre which drew approx. 10 000 teachers together to demonstrate the anger of teachers at the racist education departments and the intransigent State. Thirdly, The Western Cape Region of SADTU supported the call by National to suspend the strike regarding the Living Wage demand but agreed to continue with strike action, 24 25 May, around the issue of rationalisation and retrenchments. This was in accordance with SADTU National position. On the 26 May, at a SADTU mass rally at the Athlone Stadium, (psst! the Civic Centre was too small !) approx. 9 000 teachers, from as far as Bredasdorp, Swellendam, Ceres, Tulbagh, Vredendal, Malmesbury and Atlantis braved the inclement weather to hear a report-back from our comrade chairperson, Vivienne Carelse who was part of the SADTU National Negotiating Team with the Department of National Education
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- Date Issued: June 1993
SADTU Western Cape Bulletin - Vol 1
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134655 , vital:37187
- Description: We are forced to acknowledge the major strides which SADTU has made as a union representing the interests of its members. But with equal sobriety and honesty, we have to take stock of the enormous challenges which lie ahead of a union, which is still relatively weak, both structurally and programmatically. Several branches have not been functioning effectively because of the inconsistency of leadership and grassroots members. The crisis of commitment is also reflected in the irregularity of union meetings at site and branch level and the crisis-related activities of SADTU. Because of our weakness in local structures, we are thus forced to respond in a knee-jerk manner to each specific crisis, without consolidating, the members(or non-members) in a union building process.
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- Date Issued: 1993
SADTU Western Cape Bulletin - Vol 2
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: June 1993
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134624 , vital:37184
- Description: During the past few months, we experienced the mass mobilisation of 70 000 teachers, nationally. This collective showing of unity and strength forced the State to listen to the grievances of teachers. In the Western Cape, militant teachers took to the streets to picket, held successful sit-ins at Regional Offices, participated in mass marches and rallies. We saw unprecedented mass mobilisation of teachers on three occasions. Firstly, a SADTU meeting at the Athlone Civic Centre where a resolution was adopted to intensify the campaign against unilateral restructuring and retrenchment. Secondly after consultations with other teacher organisations in the Western Cape, we embarked on an ‘ambitious’ plan of uniting all organisations against rationalisation, merit awards and our fight for a Living Wage, This culminated in the historic meeting at the Good Hope Centre which drew approx. 10 000 teachers together to demonstrate the anger of teachers* at the racist education departments and the intransigent State.
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- Date Issued: June 1993
SADTU the Biggest Teachers’ Organisation in South Africa
- Authors: SADTU
- Date: Oct 1991
- Subjects: SADTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134695 , vital:37191
- Description: During the past 12 months the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) recruited 37 947 teachers to the union, making SADTU the biggest union in South Africa today. With completed membership forms in excess of 15 000 still to be collected, SADTU can talk of an effective membership of 50 000 teachers, the SADTU president, Shepherd Mdladlana said during his address to Congress at Nasrec, Johannesburg. The SADTU membership further consists of teachers from all departments all over the country, making SADTU the only unitary, non-racial teachers’ union in the country. In his report to Congress, SADTU General Secretary, Randall van den Heever, pointed out that the most progressive members of all erstwhile organisations - newly emergent as well as established - occupied leadership positions within the union’s branch and regional structures, making SADTU the most well represented union of teachers from all sectors.
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- Date Issued: Oct 1991