GEORGE NEWS - Over the last few weeks, George Herald has been made aware of teachers in contractual posts at different schools who were unsure about the security of their jobs.
Some teachers' contracts have been renewed, others not. Complaints include overfull classrooms, disruption of the school routine, emotional learners and confusion regarding the reasons for the recent trouble with contracts.
A source close to one of the schools that experience trouble with the cancellation of contract teaching posts, approached George Herald about the matter but asked that the school's name be kept out of the media.
Since this is a matter that affects all our schools, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) gave detailed feedback to the paper's enquiry, explaining why they are moving away from contract posts to permanent posts, in order to cope with a heavy budget cut.
In a nutshell, it is more cost-effective to have permanent than contract staff - hence the push for conversion. It also creates job security for the teacher and stability in the school.
Administratively, this transition posed a challenge to some schools as some teachers in contract posts possibly don't qualify for permanent positions. Contrary to popular belief, the number of posts haven't decreased in schools. Contract positions are just less cost-effective.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond
Major budget cuts
Last year the WCED was dealt a heavy blow when the national government announced major budget cuts, which forced the WCED to implement stringent cost containment measures.
"We are currently facing an R870m deficit in the 2024/25 financial year that needs to be absorbed to cover the cost of the increases in the nationally negotiated public sector wage agreement," said spokesperson Bronagh Hammond.
"We issued a circular on 21 November 2023, indicating that in order to maintain the number of permanent teaching posts in the system and stability in our schools, we needed to implement various cost containment measures. We have consulted widely on the above with school governing body associations, principals' associations, teachers' unions and schools.
"We agreed to delay the implementation by one term, to ensure our schools were ready to manage this process."
From contract to permanent
About 3 100 contract posts were converted to permanent posts between 1 January and 31 March this year. "Special vacancy lists were made available so that schools could ensure that appointments to fill vacant posts could be made before 1 April; and school governing bodies were urged to give recruitment processes their urgent attention, and the department made arrangements to expedite the administration around the filling of posts," said Hammond.
"Many schools took the necessary steps to ensure that they had implemented the measures outlined in the circular by 31 March 2024. Contracts expiring on 31 March 2024, with no extension, obviously lapsed.
"As with any contract made with an employee, there is a starting and end date to that contract, which is signed by the employee. If that contract is not renewed or extended then, the contract expires. The teachers whose contracts expired have the right to apply for a vacant teaching post.
"The WCED had given schools the opportunity to extend certain contracts till 31 December 2024. A total of 2 282 contracts were successfully extended by schools, over and above the conversions as outlined above."
Contrary to popular belief, the number of posts in schools haven't decreased. Contract positions are just less cost-effective. Photo: Pexels
Stranded: what now?
Hammond said in cases where teachers did not have their contracts converted or extended, it would be due to either them not qualifying for a permanent post, or the school not following the relevant processes.
Despite widespread consultation, she said, some schools have indicated that they did not feel they understood the circular and the processes to be followed.
"The WCED has been engaging with some of these schools to determine their needs and [see] that they fill the necessary posts through recruitment and selection procedures. Temporary contract posts have been allocated on a case-by-case basis, as has been the case at George High School. Schools can contact the ECKD district office to discuss possibilities for temporary posts up until the permanent posts are filled."
No decrease in posts
"Overall, the allocated posts to schools in our educator basket have not decreased," said Hammond. "The WCED has and is maintaining the number of teaching posts in the system to address the demands of growth. We are therefore protecting our existing post basket – not decreasing it.
"Any teacher that is unemployed is welcome to apply for vacant posts through our recruitment and selection processes. The WCED continues to encourage schools to advertise vacant posts so that we can employ permanent teachers in the system, bringing employment stability to individual teachers and stability to schools. It will also contribute towards cost saving measures which will ensure that we can afford to pay our existing staff the salaries they have earned."
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
