Western Cape schools plan to protest over shortage of educators

Western Cape schools are set to protest this week as contracted teachers at several schools’ contracts have ended.

SCHOOLS PROTESTS OVER SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Several public schools are set to protest this week due to the dismissal of contracted educators at various schools.

This follows the implementation of a circular by the Western Cape Education Department.

According to the Daily Voice, a protest occurred at Steenberg High School on Friday after four contractor teachers’ contracts were terminated.

Last Wednesday, Steenberg High School staff described the effects of the circular as “nothing short of disastrous” in a statement.

The statement reads: “The quality of education provided to our learners is now seriously threatened. The Western Cape Education Department has provided schools with no solutions to the problems they have created with the implementation of this circular.”

A protesting educator mentioned that the circular indicates no substitute posts for teachers on extended sick leave will be provided.

Teachers stated this is a cost-cutting measure, with only substitute positions available for teachers on maternity or extended incapacity leave.

The directive particularly impacts poor or no-fee schools, where financial resources are limited, leaving them unable to afford additional School Governing Body teachers.

According to IOL, the WCED is confronting a substantial deficit of R870 million in the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

This shortfall arises from significant budget reductions announced by the national government, necessitating the department’s implementation of strict cost-cutting measures.

WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond stated that the department was not terminating contract posts.

“The contract posts were for March 31, 2024. The WCED had invited schools to convert contract posts into permanent (posts), and 3100 educators had been appointed permanent through this process.”

A further 800 are being processed for conversion.

“Others were extended. Some educators did not qualify for conversion and were not selected by the schools through the conversion process.”

“Therefore, their contracts expired on the date of their contract. The actual post for the school remains, and schools are encouraged to fill them out through the recruitment and selection processes.”

NATIONAL BUDGET CUTS NEGATIVELY IMPACT SOUTH AFRICA’S STUDENTS

In March 2023, the Western Cape Education Department passed a R29.55 billion budget to deliver quality education.

In June 2023, there were talks about the National government’s severe financial trouble.

According to Business Day, when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his medium-term budget policy statement on 1 November 2023, the sheer scale of the national fiscal emergency became clear.

The National Treasury promised us just 78% of the cost of the wage agreement for education and health and then gave our department only 64% of the cost.

That meant the national government needed to change the budget by R537 million.

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