Education Crisis Committee pickets over Western Cape teacher job cuts, wants education prioritized in budget

On Friday, education activists and trade unions picketed across the Western Cape, where 2,400 contract teaching posts are to be cut.

The provincial education department decided because National Treasury budget cuts had created a R3.8 billion shortfall over the next three years.

Friday’s action was organized by the recently formed Education Crisis Committee which comprises lobby groups, such as Equal Education, and unions, such as SADTU.

Parents and pupils have also joined in the demonstrations.

At least 12 schools in the Cape Metro in areas like Khayelitsha, Elsies Rivier, Maitland, Mitchell’s Plain and other areas took their frustrations to the streets against the 2,400 planned teacher job cuts next year January.

While picketing outside the provincial education offices on Friday, education activists said that the mobilization against teacher job cuts was starting to gain momentum building towards a planned mass protest.

Equal Education researcher, Mahfouz Raffee: “We will be in continuous engagement and trying to move the government to prioritize education. We know that the medium-term policy statement is coming up in October and we will be lobbying around that to make sure that education rights are prioritised in the budget.”

Meanwhile, Education MEC in the province, David Maynier, said that he was prepared to work with other sector stakeholders to ensure that the Government of National Unity prioritized education.

-EWN

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