Education
Whether her Department has taken any steps to increase the teacher workforce; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) what are the proposed timelines?
(a) On the assumption that the member is referring to increasing the number of teaching posts in the WCED:
Chapter A, Section A2.2 of the Personnel Administration Measures stipulates that:
A.2.2 Creation of educator posts by a MEC responsible for education in a province (Government Gazette No 19627, dated 18 December 1998, as amended by Government Gazette No 24077, dated 15 November 2002) (Regulations regarding the terms and conditions of employment of educators (Schedule))
A.2.2.1 The MEC responsible for education in a province must determine the educator post establishment of the provincial department of education in terms of section 5(1)(b) of the EEA, in accordance with any applicable policy made in terms of NEPA;
A.2.2.2 In determining the post establishment of a provincial department of education, the MEC must –
A.2.2.2.1 Consult with the trade unions in that province which are members of the ELRC and governing body organisations which are active in that province.
A.2.2.2.2 Take into account –
(a) The budget of the provincial department of education.
(b) The effect that the post establishment will have on the employment security of educators.
(c) The need for redress in the implementation and promotion of curriculum policy in keeping with the basic values and principles set out in section 195 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
(d) The fact that the division between expenditure on personnel and non-personnel costs in the budget should be educationally and financially justifiable and in accordance with national policy that may exist in this regard.
(e) The fact that the division between expenditure on educator and non-educator personnel costs in the budget should be educationally, administratively and financially justifiable and in accordance with national policy that may exist in this regard.
The following table provides a summary of the educator posts declared by the Western Cape education ministers since 2011:
Year | Number of posts declared | Growth in basket of Posts | Cumulative. Growth in basket of Posts | Learner numbers | Basket should have grown | Projected basket shortfall | |
2011 | 929129 | ||||||
2012 | 31 091 | 102 | -265 | 939 398 | 10 269 | 285 | 183 |
2013 | 31 091 | 0 | -267 | 937 368 | -2 030 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | 31 131 | 40 | -225 | 955 251 | 17 883 | 497 | 457 |
2015 | 32 033 | 676 | 677 | 983 313 | 28 062 | 780 | 104 |
2016 | 32 039 | 6 | 683 | 997 097 | 13 784 | 383 | 377 |
2017 | 32 320 | 281 | 964 | 1 016 816 | 19 719 | 548 | 267 |
2018 | 32 894 | 574 | +1 538 | 1 042 757 | 25 941 | 721 | 147 |
2019 | 33 095 | 201 | +1 739 | 1 061 079 | 18 322 | 509 | -33 |
Adjusted | 33 436 | 341 | +2 080 | 1 061 079 | 0 | ||
2020 | 33 865 | 429 | +2 509 | 1 077 989 | 16 910 | 470 | 41 |
2021 | 33 865 | 0 | +2 509 | 1 096 149 | 18 160 | 504 | 504 |
Total | 2 650 | 167 020 | 4 696 | 2 046 | |||
Based on the afore-mentioned table, the WCED has not been in a position to increase the Basket of Posts sufficiently to cope with the increase in learner growth in the Province for the past 10 years. The cumulative increase in the Basket of Posts from 2012 was 2 509 educator posts, whilst the actual need (learner growth/36 learners per class) is 4 696 educator posts. This is a projected shortfall of 2 046 educator posts.
b) The process for consultations for the 2022 school year begins on 12 July 2021. It is expected to conclude on 4 August 2021.
