‘The system is going to collapse’ – Union warns Western Cape over plans to slash 2,400 teaching posts

The schools that have been included in staff establishment for 2025 in the Western Cape. (Image: Riedwaan Ahmed (Provincial CEO of NAPTOSA)

By Lisakanya Venna and Siyabonga Goni

2 Sep 2024

Unions have lodged formal disputes over the Western Cape Education Department’s plan to cut thousands of educator posts, saying the poor and working class would be hardest hit.

The Western Cape Department of Education announced last week that it plans to reduce the number of educator posts by more than 2,400 by 2025 due to a budget crisis, leading unions to warn that the quality of education would decline.

Education MEC David Maynier announced that the department faces a R3.8-billion budget shortfall, partly because it only received 64% of the nationally negotiated wage agreement from the national government.

The department has implemented R2.5-billion in budget cuts and is now looking to reduce the number of educator posts to cover the rest of its shortfall.

“Teachers are our greatest asset and reducing the number of teachers in our schools will negatively impact learning outcomes, so this is a decision that we have not taken lightly,” Maynier stated.

teachers The Western Cape Education Department plans to slash 2,400 teaching posts. (Photo: Gallo Images / Darren Stewart)

On Friday 30 August, the chairperson of the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela, said: “We are also concerned with the budget allocation because of the cost and constraints that are being implemented by Treasury. However, we did not receive any indication that there are going to be teachers who are going to be laid off or teachers who will be retrenched because of the budget cuts.

“The budget cut, of course, poses a threat or a challenge for the department to implement new projects, like the building of new schools, but also the introduction of coding and robotics subjects in schools.”

Maynier announced that they have tried to lessen the impact: “We have also frozen the recruitment of most public service staff, encouraged schools to convert contract appointments, and restricted the appointment of substitute teachers.”

According to the department, the reduction in educator posts is seen as a last resort to ensure the province’s fiscal stability.

“To remain fiscally stable, we will have no choice but to reduce the basket of educator posts by approximately 2,400 in 2025,” Maynier said.

Unions lodge disputes

The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation (Naptosa) has voiced its opposition to the planned job cuts in Western Cape schools.

Riedwaan Ahmed, the provincial Naptosa head, expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision and said he was contacting schools to see where the teacher posts would be cut.

“We are opposed to it. We are saying that the government must find the money somewhere so that we retain these posts. We cannot accept the deduction of 2,407 in the system. Otherwise, the system is going to collapse… We are also intending to lodge a formal dispute.”

South African Democratic Teachers’ Union provincial secretary Sibongile Kwazi said: “We have been consulted by WCED, although we believe that it was not a meaningful consultation that they made regarding the cut in the basket of posts.’

“We are well aware of the budget cuts, but what people must understand is that the budget cuts are not unique to the Western Cape. All provincial budgets were cut for this year, and we envisage that they will also go down for next year, but what is different between the Western Cape and other provinces is that in the Western Cape, trying to address the budget cuts, they looked at personnel spending, meaning that they are cutting down the number of posts,” said Kwazi.

“We already have overcrowded classrooms in our poor working-class schools, meaning that we will be sitting with a bigger problem next year. As a union, we have now lodged a dispute and arising from that dispute we will make every effort possible to stop the employer from cutting down on the number of posts.

“These will not affect every school. The schools of those who can pay will be able to employ additional school governing body-appointed teachers. While the schools that are no-fee-paying schools will have to bear the brunt of the shortage of teachers,” said Kwazi.

“This will have an effect on the quality of education in the classroom. This will also lead to a challenge of learner discipline because once classes are overcrowded, there will always be disciplinary changes.

“This will also impact negatively on the well-being of teachers, and a teacher who is not well will not be able to teach effectively, so we foresee the downward spiral on the quality of education for the poor working class.”

Read more: Western Cape education forced cost-cutting measures hang contract teachers out to dry while angering union

Affected Western Cape schools

Naptosa received an initial list of schools that could be affected by the move after the list was sent by the department to schools.

Just over 2,400 teaching posts in the Western Cape are slated to be cut.

teaching posts The schools, among others, that have been included in staff establishment for 2025 in the Western Cape.
(Image: Riedwaan Ahmed (provincial CEO of Naptosa).

w cape schools Some of the schools that have been included in staff establishment for 2025 in the Western Cape. (Image: Riedwaan Ahmed (provincial CEO of Naptosa).

According to this list, Mitchell’s Plain High School will lose the greatest number of posts, with 11 teaching positions to be cut, followed by Mount Pleasant Primary, which will see 10 posts eliminated.

Another list of affected schools is expected to be released during the week.

Student teachers concerned

Following the WCED’s plans to cut educator positions, Daily Maverick spoke to fourth-year Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) education students. They expressed concern about the future of education in the Western Cape due to these cuts.

Alicia Fritz, who is passionate about teaching and will soon need to find employment, said, “I am definitely feeling the pressure of finding a placement next year. What worries me the most is the trend of teachers leaving South Africa, and the policies that seem to be pushing educators out of the country… When teachers leave, it’s communities that suffer first and hardest.”

CPUT lecturer Robert Solomon said classes are already overloaded with learners and that with these job cuts, classes will get bigger as there will be no teachers.

“Classes will be bigger, harder to teach and this will put pressure on teachers… This will have a negative impact on the teachers and learners,” said Solomon.

Jaden Classen, a fourth-year Bachelor of Education student, said, “I am afraid because it feels like I have wasted four years studying and I might not get a job. I am also trying to keep a positive mindset.” DM

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Unions lodge disputes

Affected Western Cape schools

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