Cape Town - A debate concerning the fiscal emergency on teacher provisions, set to impact at least 2 400 posts in the Western Cape, is expected to take place in the legislature today.
This comes after Speaker Daylin Mitchell agreed to the urgent request from the GOOD Party to have the debate at the next available sitting.
GOOD Party MPL Brett Herron said solutions to the province’s “engineered funding crisis” needed to be urgently addressed.
“We cannot sit by and allow decisions to go unchallenged that will undoubtedly add to the already severe inequality in the Western Cape.
“Billions of rands have been assigned to non-core functions over the next three years, including innovation and safety, while a relatively small portion of this money could ensure no teachers’ jobs need be lost.
“GOOD therefore welcomes the decision on the debate as the people of the Western Cape deserve to be informed of the facts.
“It is the duty of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, as a legislature representing the people of the Western Cape, to hold the executive accountable for the decisions they make,” he said.
Leader of the opposition in the legislature and spokesperson for the ANC Western Cape, Khalid Sayed, said they welcomed today’s debate.
“The cutting of 2 407 teaching posts by the WCED is unacceptable and it’s callous and it’s unthinkable. We will be registering our opposition to this particular decision during the debate,” he said.
The debate comes as education movements and teacher unions called on the broader public to stand together to fight the teaching cuts.
Equal Education (EE) as well as the Equal Education Law Centre called on the national government and provincial authorities to “rethink budget priorities, invest in the future, protect teachers’ livelihoods, and protect the rights of learners”.
In a statement, the two organisations voiced strong opposition to the decision to cut 2 407 teaching posts.
“We call on the public to defend the right to education by participating in a community-led picket at the Western Cape Eduction Department (WCED) offices on Friday, 13 September at 7.30am,” EE spokesperson Sesethu August said.
For those who cannot make it, the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) advised teachers, parents and the public to stand wherever they can and picket against the teaching cuts.
Sadtu said their call was to bring public awareness and will be a joint effort with Cosatu.
“We believe an injury to one is a injury to all. That is why we are calling on parents, teachers, the public to join us wherever they can, to rally behind our teachers.
“This will be one of many,” the union’s provincial secretary, Sibongile Kwazi, said.