Cape public schools protest over contracts that got terminated

A number of public schools in Cape Town protested against the supposed loss of several contractor teachers in light of the mandate by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED)

Circular 34 enacted in April 2024, introduces new staffing criteria to address budget cuts.

PICTURE: Pixabay

Speaking on Bush Radio’s Everyday People show, an educator at Steenberg High School says this circular is behind the recent job losses at schools

 ‘’Our greatest concern is classrooms without teachers, and obviously a high and primary schools faces different problems – primary schools has one teacher for all subjects, but as a high school, where I am placed there is a teacher for specific subjects. The loss of one teacher is like losing eight classes losing a teacher. The greatest concern is that is not a 40-50 learners losing a teacher, it is about 40 learners multiply by eight classes. It is intense at a high school, because the concern is where do we find educators, so now you will have teachers that are not even qualified in those subjects,’’ said Merica J, Grade head at Steenberg High School.

‘’There is already a backlog of learning, and we are trying to catch up with learning loses, but with this news it is going to be more difficult to mitigate this situation we are in,’’ she added.

The teacher claims that the WCED has not come up with solutions.

‘’I have not heard of any solution, even from other educators I spoke to from other schools. We as a school are trying to come up with various solutions, and the solutions will be taxing not just on the educators but learners as well.

‘’I am a business studies teacher, so I have to reassure parents that their child is getting quality education, encouraging parents to support teachers and schools as well. It is a situation we as teachers do not have control of. Also, support learners, because they too are worried about what will happen to the subjects they have taken.’’

On the way forward, and the educator hopes that National Treasury does not cut funding where the sector, she says, matters most.

‘’Education is key. From a teacher’s point of view, different career paths are formed. I do not think education should be the sectors that have a budget cut. The fruit of the labour is the doctors, engineer, we as teachers pave the way for future leaders. I would recommend that government do budget cuts in other sectors that are not ‘important,’’ said Merica J, Steenberg high School grade head.

Other schools that protested includes, Rocklands high, and Glendale high School in Mitchell’s Plain, amongst others.

In response to this, and the WCED said it currently faced a R870 million deficit in the 2024/25 financial year, after the national government announced major budget cuts that forced it to implement stringent cost-containment measures.

‘’The WCG got 64% of funding to cover costs of increase, so we have to foot the bill of the remaining budget, which leaves a huge pressure on us as a department and covering salaries. We do not want to lose our 34 000 educators in our establishment, and we would like to keep it, but we also have to make sure we have to build schools in the province, and accommodate learners, and get curriculum advice programme and training for teachers, so children can get the quality education they deserve,’’ said Bronagh Hammond, WCED spokesperson.

‘’When you face such reality, it is difficult, because what do you cut - we cannot transport, school feeding, etc. The moment we have taken other measures to try to get educators paid,’’ she added.

With rumors that teachers have been retrenched, Hammond says that this is not true.

‘’In November 2023, we informed schools that there would be cost containment measures, so we ensured that we protected the post we do have, unless the number dropped significantly. So we said to schools to convert contract posts into permanent posts. There were a lot of consultations with SGBs, principals, unions, etc, some schools did not fulfil those requirements, and those are posts, as of 31 March, expired, but it does not mean that the post is gone, we still needs to be filled, but like any other contract that if it has not been extended, then it lapses, and that is what happened to some of these schools.’’

Hammond says 3 100 educators had been appointed as permanent through this process, and extended 2 000 posts, and a further 800 are being processed for conversion and will be in effect from 1 May 2024.

‘’Those who applied for permanent posts, we are accelerating those as fast as possible. Where a school did not convert those posts, they can be in discussions with us, and many of these cases has been resolved in schools.’’

When asked about what measures the provincial education department has put in place, Hammond said

‘’We have to pay our salaries, but we also need to think of how to pay our teachers, and that is the conversion of contract to permanent. Permanent posts brings stability to the school, and educators getting pension, for example. We are trying to save posts, and not decrease the basket. For instance, we have frozen posts at head office, and that is happening across the board.’’

The WCED spokesperson says that people are misunderstood and misinformed about the matter.

‘’Do not believe all the things you have read, and see on social media. I was left gob smacked by posts I saw. The thing is we have not fired teachers, and if you feel otherwise, provide us with proof. Contracts have not been terminated, no communication to schools to teachers, then we should address that, but at the same time, we are trying to save teachers to provide quality education. We certainly not cutting teachers in the system, that is what we trying to protect,’’ said Bronagh Hammond, WCED spokesperson.

 

Done by: Mitchum George