By Johnathan Paoli
Parliament’s Basic Education Portfolio Committee has urged provincial education departments to reconsider plans to reduce teacher numbers in response to budget cuts, emphasising the need to prioritise student outcomes over fiscal constraints.
During a meeting with representatives from the Northern Cape and Western Cape education departments, the committee expressed serious concerns following a recent oversight visit to the provinces.
Committee chair Joy Maimela highlighted on Tuesday that senior officials, including heads of departments and MECs, were absent during the visits, which limited the committee’s ability to address pressing issues at that time.
The Western Cape has announced that it will reduce its educator workforce by 2407 positions, primarily affecting contract teachers whose contracts will not be renewed.
However, the department reassured the committee that no permanent educators would be retrenched.
Instead, a skills matching exercise would be implemented to accommodate those affected.
Maimela raised alarms about the potential consequences of such reductions, particularly the anticipated rise in the learner-to-teacher ratio.
“We are concerned that a greater focus is being placed on budget rather than on our learners,” she said.
The committee also requested detailed information on which schools and subjects would be impacted by these cuts.
In response to the committee’s concerns, the Northern Cape confirmed there would be no loss of teaching posts for 663 teachers not covered by the current budget.
A consensus was reached to explore alternative cost-cutting measures, such as the cancellation of non-essential projects, to preserve teaching positions.
Further discussions included the committee’s commitment to promoting social cohesion and addressing issues of racism within schools.
Maimela emphasised the importance of inclusivity in education, pointing out that language policies and application formed in certain schools were exclusionary, particularly those available only in Afrikaans.
The committee also sought clarity on the late placement of learners within the Western Cape, as conflicting reports had emerged during prior oversight visits.
Other critical issues discussed included the availability of textbooks in schools and the impact of high municipal accounts on education budgets.
“Not all issues raised were fully addressed, and we will send follow up questions to ensure our oversight responsibilities are met,” Maimela said.
She said the committee remained committed to advocating for the educational needs of students and ensuring that budgetary constraints did not compromise the quality of education provided.
INSIDE EDUCATION
