The Western Cape education department announces it has filled 477 teacher posts despite previously announcing 2407 contract teachers wouldn't be reappointed due to budget cuts.
The Western Cape education department has announced that it has filled 477 teacher posts despite previously stating that 2,407 contract teachers would not be reappointed due to severe budget constraints. The department attributed this turnaround to further budget reprioritization, enabling them to create new positions for schools experiencing a significant increase in student enrollment in 2025, as well as staff for recently completed schools.
MEC for Education in the Western Cape, David Maynier, explained this decision in a written response to inquiries. He mentioned that the department had implemented R2.5 billion in non-personnel budget cuts for the 2023-24 financial year, including reductions in a program supporting learners and staff impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and infrastructure spending. Despite these cuts, the department has decided to hire more teachers to accommodate the growing number of students in the 2025 academic year. They plan to build nine new schools and 265 additional classrooms to meet this demand.The department emphasized that the addition of new teaching positions is not a reversal of the initial budget shortfall and contract teacher non-renewals. While the number of teaching posts has increased, it doesn't equate to restoring all the positions affected by the budget constraints. The Western Cape currently has over 1.2 million learners in public schools, with significant numbers in grade 1 and grade 8. In January, Maynier stated that the reduction in posts would result in some contract teachers not being reappointed after their contracts expire on December 31, 2024, while permanent teachers might be relocated to schools with available vacancies. The reduction in teaching posts has consequently raised the projected average teacher-to-learner ratio from 1:34.2 in 2024 to 1:36.7 in 2025
Western Cape Education Teacher Posts Budget Cuts Enrollment
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