Education
With regard to the Premier’s announcement during the SOPA 2022 that his government will employ around 1 100 new teachers this year, as well as the commitment to build security fences at 30 schools this year:
(1) (a) What is the budget for the employment of these new teachers, (b) what mechanisms were used to determine the required number of teaching posts, (c) what criteria will be used to deploy these teachers and (d) what is the detailed breakdown of the schools at which they will be posted;
(2) (a) what is the detailed list of all the schools that benefited from the fencing project in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2021 and (b)(i) which schools will benefit in the 2022 academic year and (ii) what criteria are used to identify them?
1) (a) The WCED is in the process of finalising its 2022/23 MTEF budget. This budget has yet to be presented to the Standing Committee.
(b) The Department analyses its learner data based on teacher: learner ratios, and allocates posts according to affordability for the next academic year in terms of the Annual Post Allocation exercise as prescribed through the Employment of Educators’ Act, 1998 (as amended).
(c) The WCED will use the criteria as provided for in the Post Provisioning Policy, in combination with a focus on the Foundation Phase as being a lead priority in the Department with a focus on Foundation Phase reading, writing and mathematics. The Department will also consider the needs within no-fee schools more favourably within the number of affordable posts in the Basket of Posts.
(d) The details requested can only be provided after the annual process is finalised. This process must, in terms of legislation, be concluded by 30 September of an academic year following consultation with stakeholders and the outcome communicated to schools.
(2) This information has already been provided in the written response to the member’s question 15 of 18 February 2022.
