Western Cape Fills 477 Teacher Posts After Cutting 2 407 Contract Positions Last Year

The Western Cape education department says it has filled 477 teacher posts despite announcing last year that 2 407 contract teachers would not be reappointed as a result of severe budget cuts.

Through further budget reprioritisation, we are in a position to make up to 477 new growth posts available to schools with a significant increase in learner numbers in 2025 and provide staff for the new schools we have completed, Western Cape education MEC David Maynier said in a written response to questions from the Mail Guardian at the weekend.

I said that we would fight for our teachers, and we continue to do so.

The department said last year it had made R2.5 billion in non-personnel budget cuts in its 2023-24 budget, including an R436 million cut to a programme established to provide academic support for learners and staff affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and a R1.2 billion cut to infrastructure spending.

In January this year, the department said it planned to build nine new schools and 265 additional classrooms for learners in the 2025 school year, and had therefore decided to employ more teachers to keep up with the growing number of pupils.