Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has requested an urgent meeting with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana ahead of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in efforts to protect services in the education sector faced with a budget crisis.
This engagement, along with the National Treasury, is part of immediate interventions that Gwarube is hoping to implement as teacher, scholar transport, school nutrition, textbook and teaching post cuts are looming.
Speaking at a media briefing, Gwarube pointed out that the education system was under immense pressure with the learner-to-teacher ratios steadily increasing and will be worsened by further cuts.
She said most provinces require between R350 million and R3.8 billion.
“It is important to note that no person gets retrenched, but rather vacancies are not filled. Nationally, the number of learners within the education system has increased by approximately 292 820 over the last five years.
“We are faced with a pending national crisis, one that affects not just our learners but our teachers, principals and broader communities. It is crucial to understand that this crisis is not confined to one province or one aspect of the education sector.
“Every province is grappling with these painful choices. Provincial education departments will in the next two to three years find it increasingly difficult to fund their existing basket of posts and existing programmes within the available budget, unless measures are taken proactively to mitigate this risk,” said Gwarube.
Patrick Khunou, the department’s chief financial officer, said that the pressure across all nine provinces was a minimum of R79bn.
There are 18 729 contract appointments that face the possibility of not being reappointed. Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier said all special needs schools were protected and the affected schools were more in the metros, than in the rural areas.
Schools in the province received their revised staff establishment for 2025, with the number of affected posts now standing at 2 407.
In the Cape Winelands, 299 teacher posts have been affected, 200 in Eden and Central Karoo, 309 in Metro Central, 459 in Metro East, 462 in Metro North, 444 Metro South, 117 in the Overberg, 117 in the West Coast.
“Some contract teachers will not be reappointed after their contracts end on December 31, and some permanent teachers will be asked to move to another school where there is a suitable vacancy. Schools are currently communicating to teaching staff on this.
“The decision by the national government to not fully fund the 2023 multi-year wage agreement has put provincial education departments in an impossible position,” said Maynier.
“Every choice we make to deal with the fiscal emergency will have a negative impact on learners.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane announced the province was faced with the possibility of cutting its budget for school nutrition and scholar transport to save more than 3 000 teaching jobs amid a R4.5bn budget reduction.
Cape Times