Johannesburg — Gauteng Education Department (GDE) MEC, Matome Chiloane, remains committed to finding alternate solutions to mitigate the impact of the R4.5 billion budget cut.
Chiloane revealed that more than 3 000 teaching posts were at risk if the department were to survive the recent budget cuts.
He did not want the GDE to follow the same path as the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) which announced it would cut more than 2 000 teaching posts for 2025.
He said it was unreasonable to expect the reduction, owing to the province’s growing populations, Newzroom Afrika reported.
“The MEC in the Western Cape decided to send letters to schools, cutting teaching posts by 2 400. All departments are affected, and we are a bugger system than them. We are looking at about 3 400 but we are not moving in the direction of the Western Cape,” Chiloane said.
He said the department was looking at alternate ways to keep educators, and said the GDE was a growing system, meaning there would be 100 learners for one teacher. He said there would be cuts elsewhere.
“There will be a cut elsewhere. Scholar transport, school nutrition, LTSM, we are cutting everywhere to make sure we keep our educators” he said.
He said Gauteng would approach the situation differently and would not create any alarm. The department would be working with Treasury to ensure it gets the necessary funding.
[WATCH] “We are not moving in the direction of the Western Cape.” Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chelone says the department will cut budgets for scholar transport and school nutrition programmes in order to retain teachers after national government budget cuts. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/ECpuMEJnIn
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 15, 2024
Minister of Education, Siviwe Gwarube, said her department would do all it could to protect teachers’ jobs so that the quality of education is improved in the country. She met with teacher unions in the country to give updates on the crisis seen in provinces, she said on X.
“While this is a matter that is sitting directly with Treasury, we as a Department of Basic Education cannot sit back while frontline services are being affected because, of course, this will affect the quality of education,” she said.
The Minister said she had met with unions to share progress in dealing with the effects of the provincial departments’ budget cuts, implemented by the National Treasury.
“I have been engaging with the provinces to get a good sense of where the budget cuts are affecting the provinces, where they need assistance the most and where I can make sure that I am making a case to them, on their behalf, to Treasury,” she said.
Gwarube added that she would be meeting with the Treasury this week to address the funding issues facing her department.
I recently met with the teacher unions on the sidelines of the Department of Basic Education’s Strategic Planning session in Pretoria.
The meeting focused on the urgent issue of budget cuts affecting the education sector.
I am committed to protecting the basic
education sector… pic.twitter.com/meWB9iBhOK— Siviwe Gwarube (@Siviwe_G) September 15, 2024
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Picture: X/@ElijahMhlanga
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
