In 2023 the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) was dealt a devastating blow after the national government announced major budget cuts, which forced it to implement stringent cost-containment measures.
According to Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the WCED, the department is currently facing an R870m deficit in the 2024-’25 financial year, which needs to be absorbed to cover the cost of the increases in the nationally negotiated public-sector wage agreement.
“We issued a circular (Circular 0034/2023) on 21 November 2023,” she said, “indicating that to maintain the number of permanent teaching posts in the system and stability in our schools we need to implement various cost-containment measures.”
The WCED has consulted widely on the above with school governing-body associations, principals’ associations, teachers’ unions and schools.
“We agreed to delay implementation by one term, to ensure our schools were ready to manage this process.”
In preparation for implementation:. Approximately 3 100 contract posts were converted to permanent posts between 1 January 2024 and 31 March 2024. . Special vacancy lists were made available so schools could ensure appointments to fill vacant posts could be made before 1 April 2024. . School governing bodies were urged to give recruitment processes their urgent attention, and the department made arrangements to expedite the administration around the filling of posts.
Hammond said many schools had taken the necessary steps to ensure they had implemented the measures outlined in the circular by Sunday 31 March.
“The department is stepping in to support the schools that have not implemented the measures.
“In some instances, unexpected or late resignations of permanent staff have complicated matters.”
The WCED said their top priority now is to ensure that schools are supported, and that they are working with schools to mitigate the risk by: . supporting them to finalise their conversion processes;. more regularly advertising vacancy lists;. supporting them to speed up recruitment and selection processes, and expediting appointments where schools have finalised these processes; and. extending the contracts of educators appointed in vacant substantive posts until Tuesday 31 December this year.
“Despite the major budget cuts, we are doing everything we can to support our schools, and will continue to fight to deliver quality education to the learners in the Western Cape.”
