Lebogang Maile allocated R207 million to the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative to assist teachers.
Image: File picture
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) brought a wave of hope to the teachers' assistant in Gauteng.
The MEC Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, announced that the Gauteng Department of Education has allocated R207 million in the 2025/26 financial year specifically for the PYEI, which targets the Teachers Assistant Programme.
Last year, the Gauteng Department of Education was forced to lay off more than 1,000 teacher assistants after the program’s budget was cut.
Passionate, young, and eager to contribute, the teachers' assistant provided crucial assistance in classrooms, filling gaps and easing the burden on educators. However, their experience has frequently been marked by short-term contracts, financial instability, and a persistent uncertainty about their future.
Ntsako Sibisi, who was a teacher assistant at Vumbeni Primary School in 2021, said, “We used to get R3,500, which was not enough to take care of my family plus commuting to work.”
“The short contracts didn’t allow us enough time to find ourselves in the position of teaching as newly graduates, and since my contract ended, I haven’t been able to secure a job," she continued.
IOL also spoke to Shirinda Makamo, who was a student teacher at Lethukuthula Secondary School: “The allocated budget will help us a lot and reduce applying for posts away from home, allowing us to be able to navigate through this economy.”
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi stated that, “We are doing this so those young people who don’t have opportunities can get those opportunities so that a majority of our young people can be active in the economy of our province. We are also doing this to create skills development for our young people. So those that are accusing us of electioneering are just those who are too lazy to think.”
While the R207 million allocation represents a positive step, cabinet members emphasise the need for long-term contracts intending to transform these contracts into permanent positions.
IOL
