E-mail read on Morning Live 5 June 2007

Dear Vuyo, Leanne and Viewers

In response to your question this morning, is 12% too much, is 6% too little:

I am a young South African educator in my first year of teaching. Being younger and less experienced, my salary is somewhat less that that of my colleagues who have been teaching for 10 years plus – the majority of them take home in the region of R6300 – now you can imagine what I get. My decision to become a teacher is one of choice, and there is no other job in the world I could imagine myself doing. However, I have it in the back of my mind that at least I have another qualification to fall back on once teaching can no longer pay the bills.

I am very fortunate that being only 22 and single that I have only myself to support, but there are those dedicated and committed teachers who have houses and cars to pay off, children to educate and food to put on the table.

We work everyday with children of the nation, they are amazing youngsters, but with 40+ in a class and the changing dynamics of the youth ( incorporating bad attitudes, violence, disrespect, indifference to education, etc), teaching leaves much to be desired.

The Department of Education insists on life-long-leaning, so many of us educators continue to study while we teach (it's one way to get an increase too) – so there are University bills to pay, as well as the added stress of studying and completing assignments.

The total number of learners that I teach is in the vicinity of 280. I think it's about time South African's sit up and take action – a strike draws attention, yes, but this should be a concern for the whole country, if we don't have good educators (which will only increase with better pay) and sound education, I must ask, what is the future of society really?


Yours in Education
Kind regards

Siobhan Louw
200715152
083 566 6332
Email: siobhan.louw@gmail.com
Blog: http://teach-learn-educate.blogspot.com/

"Technical skill is the mastery of complexity, while creativity is the mastery of simplicity"