DA urges government to find alternative areas for budget cuts to save teachers’ jobs

The DA believes that the provincial education departments’ funding crisis to retain teachers jobs is the direct result of Treasury’s failure to fully fund the 2023 wage agreement.

The party was reacting to the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) decision to cut about 2 400 teaching jobs in the province due to severe budget shortfalls amounting to R3.8 billion.

According to presentations to the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on 20 August, other provinces are similarly impacted.

Impact

KwaZulu-Natal indicated it currently cannot afford 11 092 of its educator posts with a budget shortfall of R4 billion for this year alone, while Mpumalanga has a budget pressure of R876 million that it must resolve.

The North West has to find R485 million, while Gauteng is forced to reduce learner transport and delay Early Childhood Development expansion.

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Crisis

The party urged the national government to find alternative areas for budget cuts to ensure that essential public service roles, like those of teachers, are fully protected.

DA MP and the party’s spokesperson on Basic Education Delmaine Christians said her party is “gravely concerned” about budget cuts that are forcing provincial education departments to make “difficult decisions regarding the allocation of educator posts”.

“This crisis is the direct result of Treasury’s failure to fully fund the 2023 wage agreement, leaving provinces to absorb significant budget shortfalls.”

Christians said due to the shortfall, some contract teachers will not be reappointed after their contracts end, and some permanent teachers may be relocated to fill vacancies at other schools.

“The DA is gravely concerned about the potential impact this will have on the quality of education and on the lives of the teachers affected.”

Protect essential services

Christians said the national government has a responsibility to protect essential services, including education, healthcare, and public safety.

“Teachers, nurses, doctors, and police officers are the backbone of our society, and cutting positions in these critical areas could have disastrous consequences. The underfunding by Treasury is not only unfair but also threatens the future of our communities.

“The DA calls on Treasury to immediately address this funding shortfall. It is unacceptable that provinces are being forced to make difficult decisions because of a wage agreement that was negotiated at national level but not fully funded,” Christians said.

The DA has urged the national government to “find alternative areas for budget cuts and to ensure that essential public service roles, including those of teachers, are fully protected”.

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