Factors Underlying Teacher Absenteeism in Selected Schools Located in Tshwane West District, South Africa

Abstract

Teacher absenteeism is widely recognised as a serious problem, particularly in disadvantaged areas, yet there is little systematic research and data on teacher absence in developing nations. Generally, literature discusses the phenomenon of teacher absenteeism on the basis of high-income countries and low-income countries. The current research argues that the reasons for teacher absenteeism in developed nations are largely personal matters related to the individual and the rate of absence is relatively low. In this study we argue that while teachers’ absence is a matter that concerns the individual, there are institutional (school), structural (social environment) and economic factors that impact on the extent of teacher absenteeism in low-income countries. The purpose of the study is to investigate factors underlying teacher absence in disadvantaged communities. We investigated the phenomenon of teacher absenteeism in three (n–3) selected schools in the District of Tshwane West (D15) located in Soshanguve, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Soshanguve is a township with a predominantly disadvantaged community which depends on the public schooling system and probably has limited access to private education. The study used qualitative methods and data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the schools are ineffective in curbing and reducing teacher absenteeism due to insufficient policy measures. The problem of teacher absenteeism is rampant and manifests in many forms. The leave policy seems to be effective in curbing the wage bill for substitute teachers, but at the same time it appears to grossly contribute to the damaging effects of absenteeism on educational outcomes. We recommend that costs in implementing the policy need to be balanced against the effectiveness of the policy. Reducing teacher absenteeism implies reducing the monetary cost of teacher absence and improving the education outcomes of learners. This ensures that the relationship between inputs (education investment) and outputs (learner performance) is optimal. We conclude that improving teacher attendance will thus increase productivity in schools.

The effects of work resources and career adaptability on employee health: A case of sample of teachers in South Africa

“…According to Mashaba and Maile (2018), teachers in South Africa's disadvantaged communities, which include rural areas, are poorly compensated. Empirical literature concurs and points out that South African teachers in disadvantaged communities receive poor work resources compared to those in South Africa's highly developed communities (Naicker, 2000).…”

“…Studies that also looked at the causes of teacher absenteeism and job dissatisfaction in Africa's low-income countries concurred with the notion that the education system in disadvantaged communities is characterised by low incentives (pay, bonuses amongst others), poor working conditions and limited infrastructure (Abeles, 2009;Ejere, 2010;Yiga & Wandega, 2010). Mashaba and Maile (2018) further highlighted that poor compensation amongst rural teachers in South Africa stems from the country's macroeconomic policies. Although the growth, employment and redistribution (GEAR) macroeconomic policy framework has been side-lined after its adoption in 1996, Turok (2010) pointed out that its economic principles continue to dominate policy foundation in the country.…”

A Comparative Trend Analysis of Changes in Teacher Rate of Absenteeism in South Africa

“…The implication is that the absence of the teachers for less than 20 days is not treated as a serious breach of the employee-employer contractual obligation. Thus, this policy contributes to teacher absenteeism, which subsequently affects performance and productivity [24]. In Kenya, research on teacher absenteeism by Obiero, Mwebi, and Nyang'ara [25] found that the reasons for absenteeism are illness, personal or family problems, bereavement, and attending official duties.…”

Self-directed learning in teacher education: Lessons from Finland

“…(Student teacher, undisclosed gender, date unknown) Unfortunately, ensuring quality placements in all WIL schools in South Africa is problematic (see Gravett & Jiyane 2019;Robinson 2015). According to , at least 75% of schools in the public system are described as dysfunctional, characterised by high levels of teacher absenteeism and late coming (Mashaba & Maile 2019) and as a result, most teachers do not cover the prescribed curriculum content and learners are not learning. This assertion is backed up by South Africa's poor performance in international benchmarking tests such as Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) over the periods (Howie et al 2017 and Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SAQMEC) 2007 data (Taylor & Taylor 2013).…”