SADTU in the Western Cape says the provincial Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) won't address apartheid inequalities

 The Provincial Government is not making any effort to reduce the inequalities in the Western Cape and SADTU cannot be silent on this matter. At the pre MTEF consultations SADTU tabled a proposal in line with its resolution of an ideal school, that each institution should have at least a school librarian, learning support officer, a sports educator, and a guidance counsellor/teacher. This should be in conjunction with the required infrastructure.

We have noted with concern that the Western Cape Provincial Government had not budgeted sufficient funds. There is no attempt to create more posts to reduce class sizes and poor schools. The devastating result of the allocated budget is that it continues to perpetuate inequalities between the rich and poor schools.

Much needed services can be provided by a school librarian, learning support officer, a sports educator, and a guidance/counsellor teacher, in poor schools which are continuously under pressure to perform on an equal footing with their counterparts in ex Model C schools, are absent

Notwithstanding the posts allocated by the WCED to ex model C schools, they employ their own staff to reduce their class sizes, and in most cases it is double that of schools in poor areas.  The MEC, Donald Grant's decision to create 31091 posts in the province, does not allow the WCED to create one library post, not one learning support teacher in each school, neither a guidance counsellor or sports educator. The creation of these posts would assist to address language and maths challenges in all schools and provide support in terms of counselling service to learners who cannot afford private providers. (Noting that school psychologists at the district level cannot reach all learners at schools and there is a long waiting list)

SADTU wants to put on record that we have urged the WCED to make a start in the creation of these posts, in an attempt to bring about education transformation for the poor in the province.

No attempt has been made to lobby the Provincial Treasury to release additional funds to address these inequalities and create an equal chance for poor learners to succeed, in the light of growth in learners numbers in the province.  See table below:

Year                       Learners no        Educator posts

2008                       912 763                 25412

2009                       913 490                 25629

2010                       918 835                 25741

2011                       921776                  26430

2012                       927140                  26228

With a growing learner enrolment in the Western Cape vs a Statistics basket for 2013, the net result is a growth in class size in poor schools because wealthy schools offset this phenomena by employing their own staff.  We are challenging the WCED to declare how many SGB posts (educator and non- educator) each school employs in the province vs the personnel the WCED provides. Based on this data, we expect the WCED to take a principle decision to redirect more educator and non -educator posts to schools where the need is.

In terms of universalization of Grade R, we urge the Department to pay all Grade R educators through Persal to protect them from exploitation.

Although other unions in the first consultation process indicated they were happy with the post basket and post distribution, we are urging them to reconsider their position and call for the creation of more posts to give poor learners a better chance in the Western Cape.

SADTU Western Cape is calling for the convening of an education summit to address equality in education in the province.

Statement issued by SADTU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Jonovan Rustin, August 7 2012

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