2 400 Jobs at Risk: Why Teacher Unions Are Threatening to Strike Over Western Cape Department’s Plan
- Over 2 400 teaching posts could be cut ahead of the 2025 academic year due to budget shortfalls in the Western Cape
- Teacher unions are up in arms over the proposals and are urging the department to resolve the matter
- The Western Cape Education Department has since clarified that no teachers would be fired or retrenched during the process
Teacher unions in the Western Cape are ready to fight back if the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) proceeds with its plans to cut teaching posts.
The department recently revealed that more than 2 400 teaching posts would be cut ahead of the 2025 academic year.
Source: Getty Images
Capetonians were up in arms last week when news broke of the department’s plans, but what does it mean for the province?
Budget shortfall influences decision
At the end of August, Minister of Education in the Western Cape, David Maynier, detailed how budget cuts affected the number of teacher posts available next year.
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“We are doing everything we can to fight for our teachers, but we are being short-changed by the national government. We receive only 64% of the cost of the nationally negotiated wage agreement, leaving the province to fund the remaining 36%. This has resulted in a massive budget shortfall of R3.8 billion,” he explained.
In his statement, Maynier added that they had no choice but to reduce the number of educator posts by approximately 2 400.
Unions hit back at job cuts
Following the uproar that greeted the news, two teacher unions in the province have also come out to slam the idea.
The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) stated that they had been in consultations with the department for the last month and had rejected the proposal to cut posts.
They also refused to rule out the possibility of protest action if the matter was not resolved as soon as possible.
WCED clarifies its earlier statement
The plans naturally caused quite a stir, leading to many misconceptions circulating on social media.
The department has since sought to clarify the matter, insisting they would fight for the teachers.
They also reiterated that teachers would not be retrenched or fired during the process.
Confusion reigns on social media
With the plans yet to be officially implemented, many are still unsure what it all means.
Some took to social media to question whether their jobs would be safe, while others trashed the plans.
@keatakun questioned what the criteria were:
“What is the criteria for permanent teachers being moved to another school where there is a suitable vacancy? Is it last in first out, or is there a specific criterion?”
@phelo24 was curious about what would happen to those who were yet to be employed:
“Unemployed teachers in the WC? Where do we fall?”
@ScribantePieter believed the plans would only make things worse.
@SeanGoss26 was less subtle with his comment:
@mpiwe80 was perplexed by the idea:
“Kanti, don’t we have a shortage of teachers in the country, and a shortage of medical staff? Yet there are a lot of unemployed graduates. Some things are just perplexing.”
Western Cape schools forced to close
Sticking with schooling in the Western Cape, a number of schools in the province were forced to close recently.
Schools in several districts in the province were forced to shut their doors in response to a Level 8 weather warning.
An intense cold front and risk of heavy rains predicted for the area forced the closure, Briefly News reported.
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Source: Briefly News
