Picture and Words: Tori Newby / Groundup
Following the Western Cape government's decision to cut 2407 teacher posts beginning January 2025, the provincial Parliament met on Thursday to debate the matter.
This government can make better choices, and that's what we are asking them to do, said MPL Brett Herron, secretary-general of the GOOD party, which called for the debate.
To save the teachers' positions, Herron asked the province to rather make budget cuts elsewhere, such as the R5-billion allocated for safety projects over the next three years, or the R21.8-billion for funding innovation in governance.
MEC for education David Maynier said the reduction in teacher posts was an absolute last resort, and it follows a shortfall of R1.1-billion rand in national funding. He said the province received only 64% of the cost of a wage agreement negotiated with teachers' unions in 2023.
