Grade R is being implemented and managed with varying qualifications, less favourable conditions of service and limited infrastructure necessary for effective and efficient Grade R schooling. Some Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) are paying different stipends for Grade R practitioners. This includes qualified Grade R practitioners being treated differently amongst and within provinces. Currently, 12,400 Grade R practitioners appointed by SGBs in public schools (on contract) do not have the minimum qualification to teach in Grade R. Approximately 4,000 of these practitioners do not have the Level 4 National Qualification Framework (NQF) qualification. Approximately 230 of this number do not have a Matric. For any educator to be registered by the South African Council of Educators, such educators must be professionally qualified. The remaining 8,400 practitioners are underqualified and this means that they have an NQF level 4 or 5 qualification instead of the required NQF level 6 qualification.

Mr Salie Faker, Acting DDG for Teacher Development, Human Resources and Institutional Development, said that HEDCOM and the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) are discussing the improvement of conditions of service and the career pathways of the unqualified and underqualified Grade R practitioners who are appointed by SGBs and willing to upgrade their qualifications. Funding is required to support these practitioners who have vast experience in teaching Grade R, who are likely to exit the system without any pension, to obtain a formal qualification so that they could be appointed as educators in terms of the Employment of Educators Act (EEA), 1998. The payment of a uniform stipend across provinces was also discussed, but due to the financial positions of PEDs, a suitable amount could not be agreed to.

“Letters were sent to all nine PEDs in December 2024, to provide guidance on how to proceed with compulsory Grade R in public schools. All appointments of educators must be made in accordance with the EEA within the ambit of the Personnel Administrative Measures and relevant collective agreements. Educators who are qualified with a BEd will continue to be appointed in the Foundation Phase, which now includes Grade R. Educators who are qualified with a Grade R Diploma will continue to be permitted to teach only in Grade R and may be employed permanently where a post is vacant and funded. PEDs are no longer permitted to employ any new underqualified Grade R practitioners in 2025.

“Grade R is currently not included in the norms and standards for post-provisioning to public schools. Proposed norms and standards have been drafted and will be discussed in a task team, which will consist of all stakeholders, including all nine PEDs and relevant line functionaries in the DBE. Once an agreement has been reached, the norms and standards will be presented to the Heads of Education Departments Committee (HEDCOM) and Council of Education Ministers (CEM) for approval for final gazetting for implementation for the 2026 post provisioning process, towards the end of April”, Mr Faker concluded.