The Department of Basic Education has set the stipend for Phase III equivalent to the National Minimum Wage (NMW). According to the Department of Employment and Labour, with effect from 1 March 2022, the NMW is R23.19 for each ordinary hour worked.
Effectively, the stipend for youth appointed in Phase III of the PYEI is R4 081.44, inclusive of the employee contribution towards the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
Thus, the monthly stipend payable to the assistants is R4 040,63, after the deduction of one percent (1%) employee contribution towards UIF, which is R40,81.
The following provisions are made in the contract of employment for Phase III:
- An employer shall not deduct money from the EA/GSA’s payment without the EA/GSA’s consent unless the deduction is required in terms of the law.
- An employer must deduct and pay to the Department of Employment and Labour, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) that the EA/GSA is required to pay.
- An employer may deduct any money that was overpaid to the EA/GSA erroneously.
- An employer may not require or allow the EA/GSA to pay the employer or any person for having been employed.
- An employer may deduct from the stipend of the EA/GSA the amount equal to the number of days that the Assistant took leave that is outside the allocated leave days.
The youths are entitled to one-day vacation leave for every full month that the EA/GSA has worked in terms of the contract. Where an individual has taken leave more than the days they are entitled to, there will be a pro-rata deduction for the month in which the excess leave days were taken.
The schools are not allowed to make any arbitrary deductions, which are not in line with the contract of employment signed between the youths and the school.
Training and upskilling of youth placed in PhaseiIii of the Presidential Youth Employment initiative (PYEI)
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) implemented in the Basic Education Sector seeks to provide youth with learning and earning opportunities. It is geared towards supporting livelihood and serves as a vehicle to address high levels of youth unemployment in South Africa.
One of the key objectives of the PYEI in the Basic Education Sector is to provide the beneficiaries with skills and competencies that will enhance their prospects for future employment.
To this end, the Department of Basic Education has leveraged on some of the training offerings by its partners to skill the youth appointed in schools.
The training partners include Digify Africa, offering online safety training; NEMISA, offering digital literacy training; 2Enable, offering an on-line e-Learning training course; and Pinnock Consulting, hosting the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) training.
There are additional training and learning material hosted by eCubed on the TeacherConnectlearn portal, which is a zero-rated website.
These include curriculum training for curriculum assistants, compulsory generic orientation, and the Reading Champions Training.
The table below summarises the training offerings that can be accessed online, all of which are self-paced and mediated:
All the participants are required to complete the various available training to enhance their skills and to empower themselves.
Should additional information on how to access the training be required, an email inquiry should be sent to beei@dbe.gov.za.
The DBE wants to ensure that all the youths appointed in school under the banner of the PYEI gain meaningful experiences to useful learning opportunities