Education
With reference to the 2024 teacher cuts in which 2 407 teachers were made
redundant:
(1) (a) What guidelines did his Department issue to schools to govern the
identification of “in-excess” educators during the 2024 teacher cuts and
(b) how did his Department monitor the compliance with these guidelines
by school principals;
(2) (a) how many grievances or complaints did his Department receive alleging
unfair selection or victimisation during this process and (b) what steps has his
Department taken to investigate claims that the process was misused by
principals to target specific educators;
(3) how many educators who had been declared “in excess” in 2024 have since
been replaced by (a) newly appointed, (b) temporary or (c) contract
educators;
(4) what is the total expenditure to date on (a) legal representation,
(b) arbitration costs and (c) salaries of “in-excess” educators who are not
teaching full time;
(5) how many disputes arising from the 2024 redundancy process are currently
before the (a) Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and (b) Labour
Court;
(6) (a) how many educators currently qualify for reabsorption and (b) what
reasons has his Department provided in each case where reabsorption has
been refused or delayed?
(a) The identification of educators in addition to the staff establishment is
guided by the Education Labour Relations Council Collective
Agreement 4 of 2016.
(b) Circuit Managers are assigned, as per the Collective Agreement, to
oversee the process and to ensure that decisions are reasonable and
justifiable.
(2) (a) 42 grievances were received.
(b) The Grievance Procedure for Educators Employed in Terms of the
Employment of Educators Act, 1998 is followed. 37 cases were
resolved at institutional level. 5 resulted in disputes (4 of which were
resolved and 1 withdrawn).
(3) Educators declared in addition were carried additional to the
establishment of a school. Therefore, no post of an educator declared in
addition was filled by a newly appointed educator, temporary educator
or a contract educator of the WCED as it was not a vacant substantive
post on the establishment of a school.
(4) (a) No cost
(b) No cost
(c) No cost. All educators in addition must be gainfully employed
(teaching a subject or assigned a role provided by the principal) full
time. If not employed at a school, they can be utilized in the District
Office or Head Office supporting certain projects or functions full time.
(5) (a) 2
(b) 0
(6) All educators declared in addition qualify for absorption if they meet the
curriculum needs of a school and where there are vacant posts. Please
also refer to response on question 3.
197 educators remain in excess, and are being considered for matching
and placement when vacancies become available.
