DA calls on govt to seek alternative areas for budget cuts to save teacher posts
The plea follows a statement by the Western Cape Education Department that it will not be able to retain the current number of teachers for the 2025 academic year due to budget cuts.
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JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on government to find alternative areas for budget cuts to save teacher posts which hang in the balance.
The plea follows a statement by the Western Cape Education Department that it will not be able to retain the current number of teachers for the 2025 academic year due to budget cuts.
The department said 2,400 teacher posts would be made redundant following a budget shortfall of R3.8 billion over the next three years.
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FISCAL CRISIS
Education MEC David Maynier said this was despite implementing a drastic R2.5 billion budget cut.
Maynier said this decision had not been taken lightly.
"We are not firing teachers, and we are not retrenching teachers. The reduction in posts will mean that 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."
Maynier said the decision by the national government not to fully fund the 2023 wage agreement had caused a fiscal crisis for education departments across the country.
Western Cape Education warned the budget shortfalls were felt most accutely by schools in poor communities.
NATIONWIDE SHORTFALLS
The Western Cape is not the only province facing the looming crisis. Other provinces similarly impacted include KwaZulu-Natal, which according to the DA is unable to afford over 11,000 educator posts, along with Gauteng, which it said would be forced to reduce learner transport and delay Early Childhood Development expansion.
The DA’s Delmaine Christians accused Treasury of failing to fully fund the 2023 wage agreement, leaving provinces to absorb significant budget shortfalls.
"Teachers the backbone of our education system are now at the risk, and this will have a devastating impact on the quality of education in our schools. The DA calls on the national government to find alternative areas for budgets cuts, and to ensure that essential public service roles like those of our teachers are fully protected.”