Grade R Teachers Face Job Losses Without NQF Level 6 Qualifications

South Africa’s early childhood education sector is facing a critical juncture as new regulations under the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act bring Grade R teaching into the formal schooling system with stricter qualification requirements. The Department of Basic Education has revealed that 7,294 unqualified Grade R practitioners are currently employed in public schools across all nine provinces in South Africa, and that only 2,121 of them are eligible for qualification upgrades.

These practitioners do not possess the minimum National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 6 qualification now required for teachers working in Grade R, which has been fully incorporated into the formal schooling system under the Bela Act.

The figures were presented to the portfolio committee on basic education during a briefing on the regulations linked to the Bela Act as they relate to Grade R admissions, alongside updates on Sections 4 and 5 of the Children’s Amendment Bill of 2025.

In August, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube gazetted the first two sets of regulations under the Bela Act, 2024, for public comment, laying the groundwork for standardising Grade R within the broader basic education framework.

Chief director for basic education, Enoch Rabotapi, told Parliament that the Bela Act formally brings Grade R in line with Grades 1 to 12, meaning Grade R teachers must now hold qualifications equivalent to those of other educators.

Before the Act, there was greater flexibility, and many Grade R practitioners entered the system with low-level qualifications or, in some cases, without a matric, on the understanding that they would upgrade while employed. “This process is meant to ensure that those already in the system but lacking the entry-level qualifications are supported to achieve them,” Rabotapi said.

Rabotapi explained that the department first consulted labour unions through the Education Labour Relations Council, which resulted in the adoption of Collective Agreement 2 of 2025. The agreement sets out measures to upgrade the qualifications of Grade R practitioners currently in schools and clarifies how those who meet the minimum requirement can be absorbed into permanent posts as vacancies arise.

Upgrading efforts under way

To drive the upgrading process, the department has partnered with the University of South Africa (Unisa), chosen for its distance-learning model and affordability, allowing practitioners to continue working while they study. Rabotapi said the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP Seta) has committed R66-million for the first year of the upgrading process, with provincial education departments instructed to include Grade R upgrades in their annual performance plans so that Seta allocations can be channelled towards the further study of eligible practitioners.

However, the pathway is not straightforward. Unisa has discontinued the dedicated Grade R diploma, meaning all eligible practitioners must now apply for the Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase.

Those who do not meet the entry requirements for the BEd will be redirected into a one-year Higher Certificate in Education, after which they may enrol in the BEd programme, provided they hold a matric. The older Grade R upgrading diploma has lapsed following guidance from the departments of Basic Education and Higher Education.

Because Unisa’s standard application window had already closed, the department negotiated a special application period exclusively for Grade R practitioners. Applications, initially open from 1–10 October, have now been extended to 19 December 2025 in an effort to capture as many eligible practitioners as possible. By the end of November, around 1,000 of the 2,121 eligible educators had submitted applications, and Rabotapi said the department is working closely with provincial officials to mobilise the rest.

Many of the affected practitioners are currently employed on stipends, as they are not recognised as fully qualified educators under the new regime. Those who already hold a Grade R diploma meet the new minimum and may be absorbed into vacant posts as they become available. Provinces have also been asked to categorise practitioners according to eligibility, taking into account factors such as age and academic background.

“Exclusions include individuals over 60, who would be unable to render sufficient service after qualifying, and those without a matric, who cannot enrol at a university,” Rabotapi said. Following verification, 2,121 practitioners have been confirmed as eligible for upgrades, while thousands fall outside the pipeline either because they lack matric, are over the age threshold or have chosen not to study further.

Rabotapi acknowledged that this could mean approximately 4,000 practitioners will not have their contracts renewed, as they will not meet the minimum requirements to remain in the system once Grade R is fully aligned with the rest of basic education. He stressed, however, that there is a pool of qualified and unemployed Grade R and foundation phase teachers who might be brought into the system to fill the gaps left by those who exit.

“Currently in the system, only about 2,000 meet the requirements to study further,” he said, warning that this has raised serious concerns about the quality of early childhood education and the long-term impact on Grade R learners. He described the situation as the consequence of an earlier era of flexibility, where underqualified practitioners were brought in with the expectation that they would upgrade.

Despite the challenges, Rabotapi expressed confidence that the department can turn the situation around if the upgrading programme is fully utilised. He said Unisa has created a dedicated application process for Grade R practitioners, and provinces are under instruction to ensure every eligible educator applies. “We are concerned about the slow application rate,” he said.

“We welcome Unisa’s extension and are contacting practitioners directly to encourage them to apply. We are receiving a positive response as we continue monitoring the process.”

Looking ahead, the department sees the professionalisation of Grade R as central to improving learning outcomes across the system. Rabotapi pointed to research showing that weak foundations in numeracy and literacy severely limit learners’ progress in later grades. By insisting that Grade R teachers hold the same level of qualification as other educators, the department hopes to build a stronger foundation phase, in line with its broader commitment to raising the quality of teaching and learning in South Africa’s schools.

Qualified teachers frustrated by employment freeze and systemic gaps

While the education department focuses on upgrading the qualifications of existing Grade R practitioners, many fully qualified foundation phase teachers remain unemployed, caught in a frustrating limbo. Daily Maverick spoke to several of these teachers, who expressed a deep sense of injustice at being sidelined while under-qualified practitioners continue to hold posts.

One teacher, who completed her Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase three years ago, shared her dismay: “Every time I hear about thousands of unqualified Grade R teachers being renewed on contracts, it feels like the system is telling us our qualifications don’t matter.” Another echoed this frustration, saying: “We did everything the department asked of us – we studied, we passed, we qualified – but posts are frozen or given to people on stipends. We’re ready to teach Grade R learners today; we just need the chance to be placed.”

The disconnect between those eligible to upgrade and those already fully qualified is stark. “When they say about 2,000 in the system qualify to upgrade, they forget there are many more of us already fully qualified and unemployed. We should be the first in line when those 4,000 posts are vacated,” one teacher said.

Daily Maverick also spoke to two under-qualified Grade R practitioners who highlighted the difficulties they face in upgrading their qualifications despite their genuine commitment. Both explained that while the Department of Basic Education and their respective provincial departments strongly encouraged practitioners to enrol in the Unisa upgrading programmes, the limited availability of spaces is a major barrier.

One practitioner said: “We definitely want to upgrade our qualifications because we know how important it is for our learners, but Unisa has a very limited number of slots. I applied as early as possible, hoping to secure a place, but I was still unable to get in,” she said.

The other added: “Following instructions from WCED [Western Cape Education Department], I submitted my application to Unisa, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful. It’s frustrating because we are eager to improve, but the system seems to be working against us.”

They said this bottleneck in access to further education risks leaving many practitioners stuck in limbo, unable to meet the new minimum requirements yet unable to gain admission into the programmes designed to help them qualify.

The department’s ongoing efforts to professionalise Grade R teaching through partnerships with institutions like Unisa and funding from ETDP Seta signal a clear commitment to improving early education quality. Yet the tension between upgrading existing educators and absorbing qualified unemployed teachers highlights structural issues that must be addressed to safeguard learners’ futures. DM