WCED says only special-needs schools excluded from teaching contract post cuts
The department's spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, said claims that the department withheld information about which schools would be affected are false.
School governing bodies cost scholar transport schemes in the Western Cape millions. Picture: Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape Education Department says only special-needs schools were excluded from teacher contract post cuts.
In an opinion piece, education consultant and researcher, Dr Seelan Naidoo, claims that public schools in the wealthy suburbs of Cape Town were exempt from the process.
However, the department has pointed out that he has contradicted his claims as he mentions that Quintile 5 schools, schools in more affluent areas, had the highest number of teacher job cuts.
The department's spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, said claims that the department withheld information about which schools would be affected are false.
"As for the false claim about hiding information, a member of the provincial Parliament requested a list of schools where posts will be cut, as well as a number of posts cut per school. We provided this information in the provincial Parliament."
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Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) in the Western Cape says for now, it holds a neutral view on allegations that the provincial education department may have excluded schools located in wealthy suburbs from teacher job cuts.
In August last year, the department announced that it would cut 2,407 posts in January due to a R3.8 billion budget shortfall imposed by the National Treasury.
Naidoo claims that more than 400 public schools in wealthier suburbs were exempted from teacher job cuts.
He further claims these schools were not declared on the department’s list or in its submissions to the legislature.
The department has, however, rubbished the claims as political propaganda.
SADTU said it would engage the department on this matter and initiate its own investigation.
"The issue is that there schools that are in quintile 1, 2 and 3 that are also not part of the list of schools that are losing posts in 2025," said SADTU's provincial secretary, Sibongile Kwazi.