Following apparent budget cuts by the national government and stringent cost-saving methods implemented by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) teachers, learners and parents took to the streets on Friday 5 April in protest against the termination of teacher contracts.
In a media statement on Thursday 4 April, WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department faced a R870 million deficit.
“In 2023, the WCED was dealt a devastating blow after the national government announced major budget cuts, which forced us to implement stringent cost containment measures.
“We are currently facing an R870 million deficit in the 2024/25 financial year that needs to be absorbed to cover the cost of the increases in the nationally negotiated public sector wage agreement,” she said.
In November last year, the department issued a circular to Western Cape schools outlining its planned containment measures.
“In order to maintain the number of permanent teaching posts in the system and stability in our schools, we needed to implement various cost containment measures,” said Hammond.
She further added that the WCED consulted with school governing body associations, principals’ associations, teachers’ unions and schools.
In preparation for implementation, approximately 3 100 contract posts were converted to permanent positions between Monday 1 January and Sunday 31 March and special vacancy lists were made available for schools to ensure vacant posts were filled before Monday 1 April.
Bronagh added that the WCED has since stepped in to support schools that have not implemented the necessary measures.
“In some instances, unexpected or late resignations of permanent staff have complicated matters.”
Holding a placard with words “We need our teachers”, one of the teachers at Steenberg High School, said their school faced the loss of four contract teachers.
“What is appalling to me, is the fact that this is the only province in the country that does this.
“Remember they are supposed to be the custodians of education and this is what they do to the marginalised masses in the Western Cape,” he said.
“This does not affect the white schools, they have the resources and can deal with this and can absorb their teachers by other means.”
He further explained that classrooms at the school had 40 plus learners per class, thus the termination of four teachers would be “absolute chaos”.
“The people who are suffering are the learners, so I am appalled and devastated. We are rallying whatever means of people to make this government understand, the DA-led government in the Western Cape, that it is not okay and they will pay at the polls.”
Sandra Jacobs, a parent of a Grade 9 learner at the school, said she stood in solidarity with teachers.
“The youth is our future, do they want this school to be like other schools with a 35 percent matric pass rate?” she questioned.
“If we look at the community of gangsterism, do they want our children to go stand on a corner and become a gangster? Is that what this government wants for our children?”
Another parent Roderick Malan said education was key.
“The teachers are there to educate and if they leave, like late president Nelson Mandela said education is key,” he said.
“If you are already almost 50 children in one class and you take four or five teachers away then they will have up to 70 children in a classroom and that is very unfair, we are not happy.”
According to Roy Prinsloo, a member of the Education Union of South Africa who joined the protest, the budget cuts are affecting schools all over SA.
“A few weeks ago I read about the impact of budget cuts on education in South Africa, across the board, that was implemented by the national government.
“Those posts are vacant and you can imagine the impact on our learners sitting without teachers,” he said.
Prinsloo added that it was time that teachers took back their schools.
“Four teachers are leaving this school and there are no teachers to supervise classes, no subject teaching and I think it is high time that teachers take back the schools and insist on the government to come to the party.
“In my time, when we were struggling with education we spoke about ‘away with gutter education’ but it looks like we are back to that situation where there is no caring of community and our education.”
Meanwhile on Friday 5 April, in a media statement, Hammond said the WCED had not terminated any teacher contracts.
“There has been a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation around the circular.”
“Schools were encouraged to convert posts into permanent with 3 100 posts that have been converted already and a further 800 being processed for conversion. We have not terminated any teacher contracts nor have we decreased the number of teachers in the system.”
She encouraged schools to convert contract teacher posts into permanent posts.
“Some teacher contracts ended on the 31 March as per their contract, the school is still able to employ a permanent post level 1 teacher in the post and we are encouraging schools to do so.
“We are working with schools to ensure that all approved posts are filled.”
