NYDA: Essential services call an ironic repeat of DA policy

The DA Youth welcomes the call by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) for education to be declared an essential service and for it to be de-unionised.

It is most ironic that in one of the agency’s first public forays into constructively addressing the challenges facing young people that they see fit to cut and paste from Democratic Alliance (DA) policy.

We hope that this proposal is the beginning of reason prevailing within the politically fraught NYDA, and that they will continue to look to DA policy for potential solutions to the problems facing young people.

The call for teaching to be declared an essential service was first made by the DA in 2010, when we submitted an application to the Essential Services Committee supported by a national petition conducted by the DA Youth.

South African children receive one of the worst standards of education in the world; a fact confirmed by a variety of studies. There are many reasons for this, but it is certain that nothing can be done to improve the situation without first having all teachers in their classrooms for all the hours that their contracts require them to be there.

According to a study by Tokiso, an independent dispute resolution company, Sadtu, the single largest trade union representing teachers, was responsible for 42% of all workdays lost between 1995 and 2009.

The consequences of attempting to obtain an education in this environment do indeed, we believe, create enormous inconvenience to the lives of learners, whose interests should be paramount, as well as to their parents, and the teachers, principals and other role-players who are genuinely trying to learn create a positive learning environment.

Media enquiries:

Makashule Gana

DA Youth Leader

082 773 4755

Aimee Franklin

DA Youth Director

072 232 0127