Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) gathered on Friday for a debate regarding the education adjustment budget made earlier this year.
With this, it also revealed its revised plans for the 2024 academic year following a R716.4 million cut in its budget from the National Treasury.
The immediate effect of the cut meant that the department also had to cut back on its #BackOnTrack plans, which aimed to expand the number of and resources for learners in Grades 8 and 10, and the parent programme, as well as the Rapid School Build plans, and to reduce spending on staffing in the department.
The department announced on Friday that, as of April 2024, it would have to stop the provision of substitute teachers, except to cover teachers on maternity leave; stop the provision of post-level 1 contract teachers in place of those acting in vacant school management team promotion posts, excluding vacant principal posts; that any vacant post-level 1 and public service posts must be advertised in a vacancy bulletin, and cannot be filled with a contract appointment.
Education MEC David Maynier said the upshot of this was that filling of posts will take longer, and staff may need to take on extra work.
“Even when the national government has dealt such a severe blow to our province, we will continue to fight to deliver quality education to the learners of the Western Cape.
“We will build new schools and classrooms to accommodate the number of learners needing places for the 2024 school year and will still include two new special schools and an additional 28 classrooms at existing schools for learners with special needs in our infrastructure plan.
“We will not stop fighting to get the budget we need to deliver quality education for every learner, in every classroom, in every school in the Western Cape,” he said.
Educators Union of SA (EUSA) provincial chairperson André de Bruyn said the National Treasury budget cut would lead the system back to the 1970s and 80s where Bantu Education was prevalent.
“The effect of the budget cut can lead to challenges such as fewer resources, larger class sizes, and limited teacher training.
“This may impact the overall quality of education, hinder infrastructure development, and limit opportunities for students who are fresh out of university. It will lead to us losing qualified teachers who will now move to other countries with their skills.
“Additionally, it could exacerbate existing inequalities in the education system and lead us back to Bantu Education, where the less fortunate are most affected.
“Hats off to the WCED, which is doing all in its power to mitigate the effect of the policy,” he said.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za