Teachers Leaving South Africa in search of Better Money

08/08/2008 by Tamar Blieden

Skilled professionals are flooding out of South Africa. From doctors to dentists, engineers to accountants, all are flocking abroad in search of better career opportunities and a safer lifestyle. And teaching are the latest profession to follow suit, reports www.globalvisas.com

South Africa has a shortage of teachers, with a distinct lack of skills in the maths, science and native language departments. And this already existing shortage is not helped by the current teacher's exodus.

It is estimated that as much as 30% of all graduating teachers have left South Africa to teach overseas and about 20 000 leave the profession each year. This has been attributed to low salaries, poor working conditions and the active poaching of highly-skilled teachers.

Most of the teachers who move abroad opt for teaching position in the United Kingdom where salaries are higher. In a ten year period as many as 10 000 teachers went to teach in Britain. This is bound to drastically increase in the next few months before the abolition of the Working Holiday visa. This popular visa, allows those between the ages of 18 and 30 to work in the UK for up to a year.

Other popular destinations for South African teachers are Dubai and the Middle East. Many of these immigrating teachers leave for money where in these countries they can get paid triple their current salary.

However, despite reports of an impending teaching crisis, the provincial education department has denied teacher mass emigration. This is based on the just 3.2% of the total 31 000 teachers resigning in the Western Cape last year and the thousands of post applications that have been received.

Nevertheless South African teachers unions are planning to stop the alleged exodus in its tracks through the introduction of a pilot scheme whereby prospective teachers get teaching training while studying on a part-time basis as well as a number of initiatives which will look into increasing teacher's salaries.

According to the South African Democratic Teachers Union, 15 000 teachers are expected to leave their jobs in the coming decade and it is clear that if such numbers are accurate this needs to be halted as soon as possible.

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Jean-Louis Kayitenkore
Procurement Consultant
Gsm: +250-08470205
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Kigali-Rwanda
East Africa
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