Dear principals and teachers,

WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FIGHT FOR OUR TEACHERS

On Monday, 2 September 2024, I visited one of our high schools to engage with staff about the work the school is doing to improve learning outcomes.

During my visit, the principal informed teachers that the school will unfortunately lose teaching posts for the 2025 school year. It was clear from the conversation that the impact of losing two posts will be significant. I could see that teachers were concerned and uncertain about how this would affect their learners. And I could see some of the teachers looking around the room thinking: “Will it be me?”

I realise that this will be a very difficult time for our teachers.

You take on so many roles above and beyond being a teacher – you are also parents, protectors, social workers, caregivers and confidants to our learners. Class sizes and workloads will increase and the uncertainty and anxiety will take a personal toll on you and your families.

I also recognise the pressure that the decision has placed on our principals, as you will be responsible for managing the impact of the reduction in posts at your schools.

We will do everything that we can to reduce the administrative burden on our schools and teachers during this time. And I want to assure you that the decision to reduce posts was not taken lightly.

We have worked so hard to employ more teachers and build more schools, so a reduction in posts is the opposite of what we are trying to do. But our department has been placed in an impossible position.

Having only received 64% of the cost of the nationally negotiated public sector wage agreement, our department has had to make over R2.5 billion in non-personnel budget cuts. But we still face a R3.8 billion shortfall over three years.