Education
With reference to the News24 article published on 27 October 2025 highlighting
the 1 200 teacher resignations in the province:
(1) What concrete interventions has his Department implemented in the last
12 months to address teacher retention;
(2) whether the successful interventions, if any, will continue for the next year;
if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) how will his Department ensure that the burden of teacher turnover does
not fall dis-proportionately on schools in low-income areas?
My department has informed me of the following:
(1) Resignations occur for various personal and professional reasons, including
health, relocation, emigration, or career changes. The overall teacher
turnover, especially for resignations, represents 3.3% of the total educator
workforce.
While the WCED does not offer financial incentives for retention, it has
implemented several non-monetary interventions to support teacher retention.
Key among these is the work of the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute
(CTLI), which plays a vital role in career development and succession planning.
The CTLI offers leadership and professional development programmes aimed
at preparing educators for future leadership roles, thereby enhancing job
satisfaction and career progression opportunities.
Additionally, the WCED supports novice teacher training to assist new entrants
in adapting to the profession and building long-term careers in education.
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(2) Our strategy also includes prioritising new entrants for vacant posts and
promotion opportunities. The novice teacher training programme will remain a
key component of the department’s efforts to retain educators by supporting
their professional growth and preparing them for future leadership roles.
These initiatives are aligned with the department’s long-term goals of
strengthening the education workforce and ensuring continuity in teaching
and learning.
(3) Legislation enables School Governing Bodies to nominate a teacher to be
employed on contract to ensure that educator vacancies are filled, and
classes are not left unattended. This helps maintain stability and continuity in
classrooms, regardless of the socioeconomic status of the school, and ensures
that no school is disproportionately affected by educator resignations.
