South Africa’s 400,000 teachers have little to celebrate on World Teachers’ Day, South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said on Saturday.
This was because society’s most influential professionals, although vital to the building of this nation, were not fully appreciated here, Cembi said.
According to her, this country’s teachers faced a number of challenges — including low pay, unsafe working conditions and lack of adequate support.
“But we still salute all teachers for their dedication, passion and hard work under trying circumstances as we celebrate World Teachers’ Day,” she said, adding that the country’s future in education lay in the hands of young teachers.
She added: “Young teachers are the future of the profession. We need them to sustain the profession.
“We therefore call on government to make teaching a more attractive career choice by ensuring teachers receive decent salaries.”
On his part, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that teachers deserved to be paid the best salaries because the instructors were the main key to South Africa’s economy.
Set up by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, World Teachers’ Day is celebrated to acknowledge the role educators play globally.
NM/as/APA