Teacher career reforms in South Africa

Abstract

Includes bibliography

In post-apartheid South Africa, the education system has striven to update its system of teacher career management through a series of policy updates. The resulting teacher career model has become complex, with opportunities for an annual salary increase, salary progression based on appraisal, or a career ladder model with both horizontal and vertical mobility options. These reforms were intended to incentivize professional development and growth while keeping the best teachers in the classroom. This country note was conducted within the framework of an international research project on teacher careers implemented by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP). While highlighting the promising nature of the reforms, it also discusses several key implementation problems to include administrative, communication, and financial issues. Overall, it finds that the lack of clarity for teacher career progression caused by these issues has ongoing effects with regards to motivation, satisfaction, and retention among teachers.