By Ragheema Mclean
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has confirmed that the province will lose around 2,400 teaching posts starting January next year, all due to severe budget shortfalls totaling R3.8 billion.
The announcement has sparked significant concern among education unions, experts, and the public, including parents.
MEC David Maynier stressed that while some contract teachers will not be reappointed and some permanent staff may be relocated to schools with vacant positions, there will be no retrenchments or firings.
The WCED attributed the crisis to substantial budget cuts mandated by the National Treasury, forcing provinces to manage severe financial constraints.
“Despite implementing a drastic R2.5 billion budget cut, including reductions in administration, curriculum, and infrastructure, we still face a R3.8 billion budget shortfall over the next three years,” Maynier stated.
“We understand that this will result in difficult choices for our schools. We have been engaging with teachers’ unions to explain the reasons behind this decision. It is not a decision that has been taken lightly,” he added.
Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive show professor of education at Stellenbosch University Jonathan Jansen characterized the budget cuts as a social justice issue.
“This is extremely alarming not just for the Western Cape but for the rest of the country as well. This signals a crisis that will disproportionately impact poor and working-class schools on the Cape Flats and in rural areas,” Jansen said.
Jansen highlighted the disparity between well-funded and under-resourced schools, noting that schools in areas like Khayelitsha and Retreat do not have the luxury of raising school fees or accessing reserves.
“This is not a question of fiscal stability but a question of racial injustice. We must call it by the right name,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, he criticized the national prioritization of sectors other than education, stating, “Are you telling me that in the national fiscus you cannot prioritize the single most important sector responsible for producing graduates who can be productive in our economy?”
Jansen warned that the cuts will lead to larger class sizes, with some schools facing 60-80 students per class, exacerbating existing challenges.
“We cannot afford, 30 years after democracy, to be in a situation where well-off schools continue to thrive while the majority of schools, which are already under-resourced, struggle to provide adequate education.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
