We are fighting for our teachers

No.

Some contract teachers were not reappointed after their contracts ended on 31 December 2024, and some permanent teachers were asked to move to another school where there is a suitable vacancy.

Around 2 100 teachers leave our system each year, for reasons such as relocation or resignation, so there will be vacancies that will open up for excess permanent teachers to move to, or for contract teachers to apply for.

No.

Over half of the posts that were removed were vacant or occupied by permanent staff.

Permanently employed teachers may be asked to move to where there is a suitable vacant post.

Contract teachers have not been reappointed after their contracts ended on 31 December 2024.

However, with an average of 2 100 teachers leaving our department each year for reasons such as relocation or retirement, there will be vacancies opening up for these teachers to apply for.

It is important to note that the post reduction, and the addition of growth posts, are two different things.

The addition of new teaching posts to accommodate more learners is not the same as the number of posts affected by the budget shortfall.

The new posts will not necessarily be in the same place as posts that were removed.

For example, a brand-new school would not previously have had any posts. And there may not be significant growth in a school where a post was cut.

During the Adjustment Budget, we made it clear that an additional funding allocation had helped us to break even financially after we had reduced the posts.

We also made it very clear that we were working on a plan to ensure that we could deal with the increase in learner numbers in 2025.

By making even deeper cuts into our existing budget, we will be able to provide up to 477 posts to staff new schools and schools that have a significant increase in learner numbers.

Once the new growth posts have been allocated to schools, schools will try in the first instance to find a suitable excess permanent teacher needing to be placed in a vacancy. However, if no suitable candidate is available, the school will advertise for a new candidate.

Yes. We made the decision to exclude Special Needs schools from a reduction in posts, given the nature of their teaching and learning environment.

The decision by the national government to not fully fund the 2023 multi-year wage agreement has caused a fiscal emergency in all provincial education departments.

This is why all provinces have been working together through the Council of Education Ministers to approach National Treasury with a clear picture of how devastating the decision not to fund the wage agreement has been for provincial education departments.

By making even more severe cuts in our own budget, we will be able to make up to 477 teaching posts available to accommodate the extra learners in our schools.

Around 2 100 educators leave our system each year, for reasons such as relocation or resignation, so there will be vacancies that will open up.

Public service post appointments have also been affected, and we are currently not filling posts unless a vacancy could put critical services at risk. This includes freezing the appointment of staff in Head Office and District Office posts, which are currently carrying a 22.5% vacancy rate.