NAPTOSA rejects commercialisation of education in South Africa 

International Workers’ day, also known as Labour Day, is commemorated by workers and trade unions around the world, in celebration of workers' rights.
In protecting the rights of its members NAPTOSA has been closely watching the commercialisation of education in South Africa, under the guise of “low fee paying schools”, systemic testing and “microwaved lessons” aimed at improving the “gaps” prevalent in education. These factors are undermining effective teaching and learning in the public sector.
NAPTOSA foresees that continued commercialisation of education in South Africa will ultimately undermine the professional integrity of teachers and negatively affect collective bargaining power in the public sector.

Commercialisation of education poses, amongst others, the following threats:
- It threatens teachers’ professional independence in the public sector.
- It impacts on the rights of children who come from poor families to access quality public education as offered by the majority of educators in the public sector.
- It absolves government from its responsibility to providing teachers with quality resources to deliver quality education.
- It furthermore absolves government from its commitment of providing safe schools for learning and teaching.
NAPTOSA will not stand idle and allow public education to be commercialised at the expense of teachers and communities that have put their hope in promise that public education is the only way poverty.
NAPTOSA furthermore urges its members to reject all forms of commercialisation of education that stands to erode teachers’ professional identity in the public sector and ultimately will undermine the significance of International Workers’ Day.