WCED dismisses claims that public schools in wealthy areas exempt from teacher post cuts

CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has dismissed claims that public schools located in wealthy suburbs of the province have been exempt from the recent contract teacher post cuts.

In August last year, the provincial education MEC, David Maynier, announced that 2,407 teacher posts in public schools would be cut in January.

READ: Budget cuts to see thousands of WC teacher posts slashed

But researcher and education consultant, Dr Seelan Naidoo, said that data analysis showed that only schools from poor areas had lost contract teachers.

The Western Cape Education Department said it's disappointed about the allegations and called Dr Seelan Naidoo's findings political propaganda.

The department said that teacher posts were divided between schools by the national government.

According to the provincial education department, only special needs schools have been exempted from teacher cuts.

But Naidoo said his analysis and findings were legitimate and could be investigated.

"There were 437 schools that did not appear on the Western Cape Education Department's list of which would have post cuts, which means of course they have been surreptitiously exempted from those cuts."

The department described the reports as an attack and said it must stop.