We are fighting against budget cuts across all education departments

On Friday, 30 August 2024, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) informed schools how many of the teachers at their school would be affected by the decision to reduce the Basket of Educator posts for 2025.

The WCED will be working closely with schools to determine which teachers will be affected.

We are not firing teachers, and we are not retrenching teachers.

The reduction in posts will mean that some contract teachers will not be reappointed after their contracts end on 31 December 2024, and some permanent teachers will be asked to move to another school where there is a suitable vacancy.

We understand that this will result in difficult choices for our schools. We have been engaging with teachers’ unions in this regard over the past month, to ensure that they understand the reason behind this decision.

It is not a decision that has been taken lightly.

We are in this position because 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%.

Despite implementing a drastic R2.5 billion budget cut, including on administration, curriculum and infrastructure, we still face a R3.8 billion budget shortfall over the next three years.

We are in an impossible position, and it is not of our making, and the Western Cape is not the only province affected.

The decision by the national government to not fully fund the 2023 wage agreement has caused a fiscal crisis for education departments across the country.

Other provinces indicated the extent of the challenge they are facing during their presentations to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in the National Assembly on 20 August 2024.

KwaZulu-Natal has indicated that they currently cannot afford 11 092 of their educator posts. They have a budget shortfall of R4 billion for this year alone, and they have had to reduce Norms and Standards payments to schools and delay paying service providers.

Mpumalanga has a budget pressure of R876 million that it must resolve, while the North West has to find R485 million.

The Northern Cape has had to, according to the wording of their presentation to the Portfolio Committee, implement a “drastic removal of a large number of vacant posts” from their organisational structure, but still won’t be able to deal with their shortfall.

Gauteng has indicated that they will have to reduce learner transport, and they will not be able to expand Early Childhood Development coverage as planned.

Teachers are our greatest asset, and reducing the number of teachers in our schools will negatively impact learning outcomes.

I have raised the matter at the Council of Education Ministers for urgent action, because these budget shortfalls impact all the provinces. I am in contact with the national Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, who similarly understands the seriousness of the situation.

We should never have been put in this position, and we will do everything we can to fight for our teachers in the Western Cape.