We are doing everything we can to protect our schools from budget cuts

What is causing panic and confusion is the twisting of facts about the cost containment measures being implemented as a result of massive budget cuts imposed by national government in the Western Cape.

We have in fact employed more teachers to deliver on our vision, which is quality education for every learner in every classroom in every school in the Western Cape.

We employed 890 more teachers in 2022/23 and 1 143 more teachers in 2023/24, which was the biggest expansion of the teaching staff establishment in the Western Cape.

Where teachers’ contracts have reached their end dates, recruitment and selection processes are being accelerated, to fill vacant posts with teachers who will be employed permanently. 

To support our schools, we have already:

• permanently employed 3 100 teachers who were previously employed on contract at our schools;
• extended 2 282 contracts of teachers employed at our schools in vacant posts till the end of the year;
• accelerated the recruitment and selection of 1 613 teachers following the publication of the most recent vacancy lists;
• expedited the appointment of teachers where schools have already finalized the recruitment and selection processes; and
• employed teachers on contract, in exceptional cases, while vacant posts are being filled at our schools.

We will also be employing about 800 teachers, who are currently working on contract, permanently by 01 May 2024.

We are doing everything we can to protect our schools, following the massive budget cuts imposed by national government, to deliver quality education to all our learners in the Western Cape.