WCED plans to eliminate 2,407 teaching positions in 2025
As of January 1, 2025, the WCED will reduce more than 2,400 teaching jobs due to a shortfall in funding. SADTU is challenging this decision.
Starting from January 1, 2025, the WCED will eliminate more than 2,400 teaching positions. Brent Walters, the Head of Education, attributed this decision to a lack of allocated funds. However, SADTU has issued a statement strongly opposing the WCED’s proposal.
WCED’s intention and reasoning
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) communicated their intention to reduce teaching posts in July 2024. The plan is to reduce the current 37 135 to 34 728, a decrease of 2 407 posts.
Brent Walters, Head of Education in the Western Cape, said the department received only 64% of the cost of the public sector wage agreement. As a result, the province had to fund the remaining 36%, as reported by capetownetc.
The WCED has concluded the 2025 basket of posts consultation process with the relevant educator unions.
To cut spending, the WCED had frozen the recruitment of non-educator staff at head office and across districts.
“Despite a massive R2.5 billion worth of budget cuts, we still face a R3.8 billion budget shortfall over
the next three years.”
Brent Walters, Head of Education in the Western Cape
Business Live reported that the provincial education department is facing a R3.8 billion budget shortfall over the next three years.
Walters stated that ‘the reality is that the costs related to the employment of educators outweigh’ the department’s budget. He emphasised that the only choices the department has are to either run into the red financially or to reduce the number of educators in the system, albeit less than ideal.
SADTU’s reaction to reducing teaching posts
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) issued a statement in which it states that it ‘rejects, with the contempt it deserves’ the WCED’s proposal.
SADTU stated that they acknowledge the reduction of the WCED budget, however, they are not convinced that the department explored all areas where they could reduce spending. SADTU Western Cape suggested a few alternatives for possible redirection of funding, e.g. putting the Systemic Evaluations on hold.
According to SADTU, the poor working-class communities will bear the brunt of the reduction of teaching posts as quality public education is the only way out for the poor to escape the cycle of poverty.
“Education remains one of the key areas that will address the current financial meltdown in the country, and as a union we have a firm belief that cost containment measures should never be applied to social services that are rendered to the citizens of this country.”
SADTU
Schools will receive their 2025 basket of post allocations on 30 August 2024.