Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube assured MPs on Tuesday that despite budget cuts, no teacher will be retrenched next year.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube assured MPs on Tuesday that despite budget cuts, no teacher will be retrenched next year.
Gwarube indicated to Parliament that an appeal has been made to the National Treasury to consider the R32 billion shortfall faced by the sector during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
The Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries meeting began on Tuesday with chairperson Makhi Feni expressing disappointment at a report that the National Treasury would not be available to present.
“I am not happy; at least recommendations for the current challenge should have been presented. We must write to the Treasury about this dissatisfaction.
They should come and tell us what is happening and (we must) not just hear from the department.
“We wanted to know how they are planning to assist. This was a work and oversight invitation,” said Feni.
MPs agreed, stating this was budget-related and the Treasury should have been present to bring them and the public into confidence.
Presenting, DBE chief financial officer Ntsetsa Molalekoa said the overall pressure faced by the sector from 2024 to 2028 resulted in a shortfall of about R176bn.
There was a need to cover a shortfall of about R32bn for the 2024/2025 financial year and R43bn for 2025/2026.
Director-general of the Department of Basic Education, Mathanzima Mweli, said the analysis they arrived at in relation to the current challenges indicated three things: cumulative budget cuts over the past years, inadequate funding, and inefficiencies in the system.
“In trying to protect the frontline workers, it means taking money for textbooks, learner transport and also money for infrastructure,” he said.
Presenting on teacher posts, the department’s acting deputy director-general for teachers and human resources, Salie Faker, said the number of learners has increased by about 292820 over the past five years.
“Only the Eastern Cape has experienced a decline of 42000, while Western Cape experienced the second-highest learner growth. It also reduced in learner-educator ratio (LER),” said Faker.
The Western Cape had 2407 teacher post reductions, the largest in the country.
Gwarube said they were aware the cutting of teacher posts had the committee worried.
“There will always be contradictions in living and experiencing the world, but we cannot risk the future of our children and the livelihoods of our educators.
“The reason we can make assurance there will be no teacher retrenchments: legislatively there is no tool for which this can be done. Legally that cannot take place.
“Matric exams will also not be affected. We did readiness assessments across the provinces to ensure the curriculum was completed and centres are already,” she said.
Feni said: “We are comforted by the minister’s pronouncements, and that places the committee in a good position when it goes out to do oversight.
“We can see that efforts are being undertaken in ensuring that we are not negatively affected. We appreciate that.”
Cape Times