Budget cuts in the Education Department have left many parents and teachers ill-at-ease.
David Maynier, Minister of Education said the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is doing everything it can to fight for teachers. “But we are being short-changed by the national government,” he declared, “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.”
According to Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the WCED, the West Coast district will reduce its basket of posts by 117 teachers. “All Special Needs Schools were protected,” she said. “The reduction in the posts will affect our teacher-to-learner ratios. The system’s average ratio will increase from 1:34 to 1:36.7. The formula determining how the total number of teaching posts gets divided between schools is prescribed by the national government, and takes into account class sizes, the workload of teachers, the size of the school, language, curriculum, poverty, and other factors.”
Maynier explained that the reduction in posts will mean 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. “To remain fiscally stable we will have no choice but to reduce the Basket of Educator Posts by approximately 2 400 posts in 2025.”
A teacher on the West Coast who wished to stay anonymous said it is deeply concerning to observe the anticipated job losses for teachers and student teachers.
“The teaching profession is already burdened by overwork, inadequate compensation and staff shortages. Despite the pivotal role teachers play in all key areas of engagement they often receive insufficient appreciation and support.
“The projected job cuts will have a significant impact on learners, for increasing class sizes will exacerbate challenges in classroom management. This will inevitably limit the individual attention each learner can receive due to resource constraints.”
The teacher also added that in light of these issues it is clear there are alternative sectors where the Western Cape government could implement budget reductions.
“Education and health care should not be considered viable options for budget cuts. Instead, the government should focus on increasing the budget for education. The WCED must advocate more vigorously for the necessary resources and support to address these critical issues.”
Lena Waterboer, a resident and parent in Vredenburg, felt what was happening does an injustice to both teachers and learners. She was concerned about the quality of learning that will take place as well as the pressure teachers are likely to face.
“What about those who are still studying teaching, what will happen to them? When they finish their studies there will be no posts for them.”
Waterboer said she was concerned about the future and where things were heading.
Maynier added the WCED has been engaging with teachers’ unions over the past month, to ensure they understood the reason behind the decision.
“It is not a decision that has been taken lightly,” he said.
