George Herald | 35 pupils per teacher in Gauteng

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35 pupils per teacher in Gauteng
10:17 (GMT+2), Fri, 10 August 2012

NATIONAL NEWS - The average government school in Gauteng has 35 pupils per teacher, the second-worst proportion in South Africa, according to a report on Friday.

The Star reported that schools in the Western Cape had, on average, a pupil-teacher ratio of 36 to one, according to the basic education department's school realities 2011 report.

The ratio in the province increased to 40 to one, where only state-paid teachers were taken into account.

The 2009/2010 annual surveys for ordinary schools report found that around 22 percent of Gauteng schools provided free education.

However, most fee-charging schools could use these extra funds to appoint governing body-paid teachers.

The report indicated that nationally the average proportion of pupils to teachers was 40 to one.

Earlier this week, Western Cape Education MEC Donald Grant said 154 more teachers would be employed in the province to reduce class sizes.

The provincial average for 2013 classes would be 35 pupils per teacher, with 34 pupils to a teacher in secondary schools and 36 per teacher in primary schools.

SA Democratic Teachers Union provincial secretary Jonavon Rustin said these measures were not sufficient to promote equality in education.

"The devastating result of the allocated budget is that it continues to perpetuate inequalities between rich and poor schools."

Source : Sapa