WC Education Department’s ‘uneducated’ choices to punish poor schools

The DA-led provincial government came under fire for prioritising crime fighting rather than ensuring there was enough money to employ the more than 2 000 teachers who face unemployment when their contracts expire by the end of the year.

The matter was debated in the provincial legislature on Thursday.

GOOD Party’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, said that the provincial government’s choice reflected its values and aspirations.

“That’s despite the facts that dealing with crime is a national government competency, and the province’s expensive dabbling to date has borne no fruit.

“But the province doesn’t want to own its choice. It can’t admit that teachers’ jobs must pay for the theatre of its provincial security force, so it falsely blames unanticipated public sector wage increases for its shortage of money.

“The disconnect between provincial budgets catering for wage increases, only for the department to announce it is being forced to shed more than 2 400 teacher jobs because it doesn’t have funds to cover wage increases, requires explanation. Did the government deliberately table inaccurate budgets before the elections to mislead voters ahead of the election, or do our political leaders not understand their own budgets?

Whichever it is, what is undeniable is that this government has made unbelievably uneducated choices with its funding allocations. With better choices, no teachers posts need be lost,” said Herron.

ANC MP Nobulumko Nkondlo said the DA spoke out of both sides of its mouth. “Now that they got the seats and are rulers of the Western Cape government, their true nature is nakedly displayed. The affected schools are predominantly low to no-fee schools, while affluent schools with their reserves will be able to turn these contract posts to SGB-funded ones and keep these teachers.

“Since the budget is about choices, the DA clearly chooses to spend money to drive its private sector-led growth ...the decision to cut 2 407 teaching posts is not just a policy error, it is a moral failure,” said Nkondlo.

DA MP Leon van Wyk said the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) had made a drastic R2.5 billion cut to administration, curriculum, and infrastructure – anything which does not directly affect teaching.

“They have frozen the recruitment of most public service staff, encouraged schools to convert contract appointments, and restricted the appointment of substitute teachers. In sessions of the committee which I chair, we have heard at length of the efforts made to hold back the flood.

“And still, despite everything, the WCED faces a shortfall of R3.8bn.

And to be abundantly clear, the reason for this is that the national government bought something it could not afford, and then funded only 64% of it.

“What you see before you is an exercise in damage control, and this department’s valiant attempts to make the best of an impossible situation,” said Van Wyk.

Kenneth Williams, the deputy provincial secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), said the DA was declaring war on the working class. “We will take this fight to the streets.”

Cape Times