Western Cape forced to cut over 2 000 teacher posts due to budget shortfall

Due to severe budget cuts, the Western Cape Department of Education will not be able to maintain the current number of teaching posts, cutting about 2 400 posts in 2025.

The head of department, Brent Walters, wrote to schools on Tuesday to break the news.

The MEC for Education, David Maynier, said that the department is doing everything it can to fight for its teachers.

Teacher posts cut because budget ‘short-changed’

However, Maynier said the department is being “short-changed by the national department”.

According to Maynier, the department is only receiving 64% of the cost of the nationally negotiated wage agreement, leaving the province to fund the remaining 36%.

ALSO READ: Ongoing storms keep Cape Winelands and Overberg schools closed on Friday

The MEC said this results in a massive budget shortfall of R3.8 billion.

“We have done everything we can to fight for our teachers by imposing budget cuts across the board, including on administration, curriculum, and infrastructure,” he said.

“We have also frozen the recruitment of most public service staff, encouraged schools to convert contract appointments, and restricted the appointment of substitute teachers.”

R3.8 billion budget shortfall

The department said it faces a R3.8 billion budget shortfall over the next three years. This is despite it implementing a R2.5 billion budget.

In 2025, the department will reduce the basket of educator posts by approximately 2 400.

ALSO READ: Limpopo mourns loss of 13 lives, including 10 teachers, in horror taxi crash

“Teachers are our greatest asset, and reducing the number of teachers in our schools will negatively impact learning outcomes, so this is a decision that we have not taken lightly,” the MEC said.

Maynier added that the circumstances of schools will be taken into account when determining the allocation of teacher posts.

Schools are being contacted by the department this week prior to receiving their staff post allocations for 2025 since the process is still ongoing.

Department engaging with teacher unions

The department is also engaging with teacher unions, and it said it hoped they would join their fight for teachers.

“We are doing everything we can to fight for our teachers and have raised the matter at the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) for urgent action because these budget shortfalls impact all the provinces,” Maynier said.

ALSO READ: Unesco calls for more teacher support and training in Africa’s schools

“We should never have been put in this position, and we will do everything we can to fight for our teachers in the Western Cape.”