Evaluating the Promotion Requirements for the Appointment of Office-Based Educators in the Department of Basic Education in South Africa

Msawenkosi Sandile Mbokazi,Rachel Gugu Mkhasibe,Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani

doi:10.5430/ijhe.v11n2p184

Msawenkosi Sandile Mbokazi, Rachel Gugu Mkhasibe + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v11n2p184

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Abstract

Various promotion requirements are adopted in the appointment of classroom or subject educators as office-based educators or subject advisors (education specialists) in the Department of Basic Education. This qualitative adopted interpretive paradigm study sought to explore educators' lived experiences on the promotion requirements espoused by the Department for the appointment of qualified educators as office-based educators. Ten educator-participants were purposively selected for a semi-structured, face-to-face interview to collect in-depth data for the study. Collected data were thematically analysed to generate themes for the presentation and discussion of findings. The promotion requirements for office-based educators are inadequately utilised in the selection of suitable candidates for the posts. The study established an unfair promotion process in the appointment of office-based educators, and thus, many qualified educators are disadvantaged. The study recommends that promotion requirements should be adhered to in the selection process, to ensure fairness and social justice for all qualified candidates.

Highlights

The appointment of educators from schools to office-based positions at any Department of Basic Education’s office in South Africa is based on promotion, using some standard requirements
Sadiq, Barnes, Price, Gumedze, and Morrell (2019) opine that promotion is the process where an individual employee in an organisation apply for career progression, usually in response to institutional calls for applications and is distinctly different from an application for vacant posts, which are open to external applicants
The current research aimed to explore the perceptions of educators regarding the adequacy of promotion requirements for the appointment of office-based educators in the basic education department

Summary

Introduction

The appointment of educators from schools to office-based positions at any Department of Basic Education’s office in South Africa is based on promotion, using some standard requirements. Sadiq, Barnes, Price, Gumedze, and Morrell (2019) opine that promotion is the process where an individual employee in an organisation apply for career progression, usually in response to institutional calls for applications and is distinctly different from an application for vacant posts, which are open to external applicants. The vacant posts are usually advertised on the departmental website, national newspapers, and vacancy lists that are distributed to school circuits and the district offices. With the advent of the democratic era in 1994, the promotion of educators to senior positions in the department became influenced and lacked transparency (Gaynor, 1998)

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