For an education system to function effectively it is important that its planning functions are executed effectively and efficiently. Among others this implies that the system must know what the teacher supply and demand is and how it will change in time. If the teacher supply and demand is known it could result in sound intervention strategies being developed and implemented. Education planners will be able to plan for the number of bursaries to be awarded and in which subject fields; it will be known how many foreign teachers to employ and for which subjects. This is the basic rationale that underpins this study. This study explored the problem of teacher demand and supply in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase (Grades 10 to 12) in South Africa and offers a critical analysis of strategies adopted by Provincial Education Departments in an endeavour to diminish the demand for teachers, specifically for Mathematics and Science, in rural and poor schools. Initially the study involved a secondary data analysis to extrapolate the demand and supply of teachers in Mathematics and Science over the next ten years. The first key finding of the study was that the data needed for such an analysis does not exist in any reliable form that would facilitate the development of such a projection. What the study had to rely on was anecdotal evidence that suggests that a shortage of Mathematics and Science teachers does exist and that posts are often filled by unqualified and under-qualified staff. In the second phase of the research in which the study explored the effectiveness of strategies developed to address the shortage of Mathematics and Science teachers, a qualitative research approach was adopted within a descriptive interpretive design. The views and opinions of human resource managers responsible for post provisioning in schools were explored through in-depth interviews to understand the types of strategy adopted by the provinces, their potential to alleviate the problem of Mathematics and Science teacher shortage in Grades 10 to 12, their success, challenges and factors internal to the Department of Education that may deter Provincial Education Departments from achieving their objectives. The findings revealed that Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) do take heed of strategies developed by the national Department of Basic Education (DBE). However implementation is far removed from the original intention and no significant impact results. Although the reasons are not always obvious from this study, a few important aspects did emerge. First, the strategy developed may not be popular with a particular province - employing foreign teachers is a case in point. Secondly, focusing on just a number of schools to improve their results (e.g. as with the Dinaledi schools) may meet with resistance from educators and teachers’ unions. Thirdly, creating bursaries for initial teacher education in certain key areas can only be successful if the number of teachers in need is known. Finally, even the best strategies are doomed if post provisioning and appointment of staff are dealt with by different stakeholders. Based on the findings, it is recommended that both the DBE and PEDs ensure that quality education management information is collected and maintained. Information that is reliable and accurate will inform planning and key decisions to ensure that the supply of teachers is based on a specific need. As such, deficiencies in skills that are in short supply such as Science and Mathematics can be averted and better opportunities can be created for new teacher graduates. While an improved performance of learners in these subjects is requisite for related study fields at universities, the Dinaledi schools must be adequately supported and such a model applied to other schools. The employment of foreign teachers on short-term contracts does not create stability in schools, therefore, their employment must be standardised. Significantly, retention in rural and poor schools is a problem since they struggle to attract quality teachers; for that reason teacher incentives are indispensable. Making a declaration for unqualified and under-qualified teachers to acquire professional teaching qualifications and subsequently discontinue such appointments, will raise the standard of teaching and learning in schools. Rather, databases of unemployed qualified teachers could be maintained and such information made accessible to school principals. In the absence of reliable data that can indicate teacher qualification and specialisation versus subject taught, the extent to which Mathematics and Science are taught by unqualified and under-qualified teachers as well as out-of-specialisation teaching, is not known. However, poor pass rates in these subjects at the exit point of the schooling system (Grade 12) attest to the lack of appropriately skilled teacher workforce. Therefore, if Mathematics and Science specialisation is required, then strategies being implemented by the DBE and PEDs must have a clear purpose to address this shortage. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

The study analysed the management constraints in the distribution of qualified mathematics and science teachers in a post-1994 education system of South Africa. The study was qualitative and 14 participants were purposively sampled and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the identified participants. The interview transcripts were constantly compared and analysed and the data was classified into three main categories of management constraints and patterns: beliefs, experiences on management constraints and strategies for the elimination of management constraints. Turning vision into practice (TVP) framework was used to explain the relationship between its seven pillars of managing teacher recruitment and the links in the development, adoption, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a teacher deployment system, focusing on mathematics and science. Findings of this study suggest that the current hybrid post establishment model is generic and focuses more on cost curtailment than on the supply of qualified mathematics and science teachers. The shortcomings of the model are exacerbated by the transgressions of the Employment of Educators Act. Contrary to the Employment of Educators Act, entry-level vacancies are not advertised in the province. In addition, the appointment and service conditions of qualified teachers are differential. While teachers from government bursary schemes are appointed immediately on permanent status and without probation, other qualified and long-serving mathematics and science teachers remain on temporary status for almost two years and without fringe benefits. The differential treatment leads to job insecurity and facilitates the exit of these qualified mathematics and science teachers from the profession. Moreover, schools horde and use qualified mathematics and science teachers in subjects they are not qualified to teach. It is recommended that through the suggested TVP framework, the current teacher recruitment and deployment strategies be revisited regularly to ensure effectiveness of teacher usage in mathematics and science. It is further recommended that school principals and other educational leaders should be provided with personnel management skills to ensure maximum effective recruitment and deployment of qualified mathematics and science teachers, particularly to the impoverished schools. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The study analysed the management constraints in the distribution of qualified mathematics and science teachers in a post-1994 education system of South Africa. The study was qualitative and 14 participants were purposively sampled and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the identified participants. The interview transcripts were constantly compared and analysed and the data was classified into three main categories of management constraints and patterns: beliefs, experiences on management constraints and strategies for the elimination of management constraints. Turning vision into practice (TVP) framework was used to explain the relationship between its seven pillars of managing teacher recruitment and the links in the development, adoption, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a teacher deployment system, focusing on mathematics and science. Findings of this study suggest that the current hybrid post establishment model is generic and focuses more on cost curtailment than on the supply of qualified mathematics and science teachers. The shortcomings of the model are exacerbated by the transgressions of the Employment of Educators Act. Contrary to the Employment of Educators Act, entry-level vacancies are not advertised in the province. In addition, the appointment and service conditions of qualified teachers are differential. While teachers from government bursary schemes are appointed immediately on permanent status and without probation, other qualified and long-serving mathematics and science teachers remain on temporary status for almost two years and without fringe benefits. The differential treatment leads to job insecurity and facilitates the exit of these qualified mathematics and science teachers from the profession. Moreover, schools horde and use qualified mathematics and science teachers in subjects they are not qualified to teach. It is recommended that through the suggested TVP framework, the current teacher recruitment and deployment strategies be revisited regularly to ensure effectiveness of teacher usage in mathematics and science. It is further recommended that school principals and other educational leaders should be provided with personnel management skills to ensure maximum effective recruitment and deployment of qualified mathematics and science teachers, particularly to the impoverished schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)