About 2 400 Western Cape teachers will not return to classrooms in 2025. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) claims this is a result of national budget cuts, which has led to it tightening its belt even more.
On Wednesday, 28 August 2024, the Head of Department, Brent Walters, wrote to schools to inform them that, the department will not be able to retain the current number of educator posts in the province.
Western Cape Education MEC, David Maynier said despite implementing an already drastic R2,5 billion budget cut, the WCED still faces a R3,8 billion budget shortfall over the next 3 years.
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“We are doing everything we can to fight for our teachers, but we are being short-changed by the national government, receiving only 64% of the cost of the nationally negotiated wage agreement, leaving the province to fund the remaining 36%, resulting in a massive budget shortfall of R3.8 billion,” said Maynier.
‘ALL AVENUES EXPLORED’
Maynier reiterated that the sector had implemented several measures to avoid having to reduce its Basket of Educator Posts.
“We have done everything we can to fight for our teachers by imposing budget cuts across the board, including on administration, curriculum and infrastructure. We have also frozen the recruitment of most public service staff, encouraged schools to convert contract appointments, and restricted the appointment of substitute teachers,” added Maynier.
Schools will soon be notified about what their staff allocations are for 2025.
“We are doing everything we can to fight for our teachers, and have raised the matter at the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) for urgent action because these budget shortfalls impact all the provinces,” stated Maynier.
‘MONEY USED TO FUND WC SAFETY PLAN’
Meanwhile, The GOOD Party’s Secretary-General Brett Herron has, however, hit back at the Western Government by saying that the Western Cape Government is shifting the blame. Herron said it will be the poorest and less-resourced schools that will be hit the hardest.
“The notice to Principals, and school governing bodies, blames budget cuts but the Western Cape Premier (Alan Winde) is on record for slashing the provincial education and health budgets in order to fund the Western Cape Safety Plan. Premier Winde proudly claimed that he slashed these budgets in 2019, by R1 billion, in order to fund the learner law enforcement officers who operate as “LEAP Officers” under the management of the City of Cape Town,” elaborated Herron.
GOOD said while safety is paramount, defunding key provincial functions cannot be justified.
‘ONLY THE WESTERN CAPE IS CUTTING JOBS’
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) also slammed the WCED’s reasoning. Provincial Secretary Sibongile Kwazi said the union was not sufficiently consulted:
“The budget cuts are not peculiar or unique to the Western Cape. All provincial budgets have been cut, but it is only the Western Cape who has deemed it fit to reduce the basket of posts,” concluded Kwazi.
