1. 2015 staff establishments

Please refer to Western Cape Education Department (WCED) Circular 0031/2009, dated 28 August 2009, for a full description of the legislation and measures applicable to the annual issuing of teaching staff establishments to schools. The content of that circular remains applicable to 2015, except for the following amendments:
1.1 In terms of the measures of the Revised Post Distribution Model, ordinary public schools and special public schools must be issued with their annual teaching staff establishments by 30 September of the preceding year. Thus, for the 2014 academic year, all teaching staff establishments issued to ordinary public and special public schools (as well as all additional posts created for and issued to a public school in 2014 as a result of either increased learner enrolment or the curriculum needs of the school) expire on 31 December 2014.
1.2 The teacher establishments for 2015 will be published on the Central Education Management Information System (CEMIS), under the link Administration (Establishments), on 22 August 2014.

2. Additional allocations (Post Level 1 posts)

The WCED reserves the right to review the allocation of the 2015 teacher staff establishment if the information about a school, as contained in the CEMIS, is found to be incorrect.
3. Revision of 2015 establishments
3.1 Schools may request a review of the computation of their teaching staff establishment if the CEMIS learner enrolments reflected on the establishment letter differs from the learner data on 31 July 2014. In order for the WCED to carry out the computation, the school will have to submit evidence to the Directorate: Strategic People Management that the learner enrolment used and stated in the establishment letter is incorrect. In addition, schools which indicate that they have sufficient classrooms and have enrolled or intend to enrol additional learners for 2015 may apply for additional posts. Applications must be submitted during the period 26 August 2014 to 19 September 2014, and all applications must be done via the CEMIS. No application for additional posts will be considered if not completed via the CEMIS.
3.2 In the event of a school phasing out a grade or grades, the staff establishment of such a school will be revised, based on the number of learners remaining at the school. In the case of learners moving out of the school with the phasing out of a grade or grades, the teacher establishments of the receiving school(s) will be revised.

4. Recalculation of teaching staff establishment owing to change in learner enrolment during 2015
4.1 The WCED reserves the right to abolish Post Level 1 posts if there is a drop in the school's learner enrolment during the course of 2015. In such cases, teachers appointed in a temporary capacity will be transferred to posts at other schools. Therefore, when recruiting teachers on a temporary basis, school principals must inform applicants that they will be appointed on the understanding that they may be transferred to other schools if their posts are abolished as a result of a drop in learner enrolment at the school.
4.2 All contract appointments may be made only until 31 March 2015. Contract appointments made from 01 April 2015 may be made until 31 December 2015, if the school qualifies for such a post.
4.3 It is expected of all schools to update their enrolment totals on the CEMIS by Tuesday, 3 March 2015. All those schools whose learner enrolment is less than their learner enrolment on 31 July 2014 will have their teaching staff establishments recalculated by 13 March 2015. If the school must lose a post or posts, then the number of contract appointments equal to or fewer than the number of posts the school loses, will not be granted from 01 April 2015.
4.4 In cases where there is an increase in learner enrolment from 19 January 2015 to 31 January 2015, the school may apply online, during the period 19 January 2015 to 30 January 2015, for a growth post. The learner enrolment total taken into consideration will be the enrolment total on the CEMIS at the time of application. No application will be considered if it is not submitted via the CEMIS.

Circuit Team Managers must ensure that all schools have their applications submitted online by 30 January 2015.
4.5 Principals are requested to note the following:

  • Nominations for teachers in additional posts, applied for as a result of growth and/or curriculum needs of the school, may be made only after written approval has been granted by the WCED.
  • No teacher may commence with her/his duties prior to the approval granted for an additional post by the WCED.
5. Filling of advertised posts
5.1 All posts that have already been advertised in a departmental Vacancy List may be filled permanently, provided that those posts appear on the 2015 staff establishment.
5.2 Should an advertised post not appear on the 2015 staff establishment, the school is not entitled to that post and such a post will be regarded as erroneously advertised.
5.3 The stipulation, that an advertised post (particularly a promotion post) may be filled only if it does not create an additional teacher in excess, remains in place.
5.4 Should the school principal and the governing body be of the opinion that the post description of the advertised post no longer meets the curriculum needs of the school, they may request the WCED to regard the post as erroneously advertised. A detailed explanation must accompany such a request.

6. Filling of vacant substantive posts (based on establishments of 22 August 2014)
6.1 Preference will be given to the placement of teachers declared in excess.
6.2 Preference will also be given for the placement of qualified teachers who benefitted through the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme and all other newly qualified teachers.

7. Filling of additional teacher posts (based on applications for growth and curriculum needs between 26 August 2014 and 19 September 2014)
7.1 Preference will be given for the placement of qualified teachers who benefitted through the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme and all other newly qualified teachers.
7.2 In the event that a Funza Lushaka bursary holder rejects an offer of employment, other suitably qualified unemployed teachers may be considered for appointment to a vacant substantive post.
7.3 Only qualified teachers with a REQV 13 or higher may be considered for vacant teacher posts. The Department will exercise its right to employ other teachers only if no qualified teachers can be identified from the aforementioned categories. Applications for appointments of temporary teachers in the following categories need prior approval from the Chief Directorate: People Management Practices:

  1. Teachers over the age of 65 years;
  2. Teachers that previously had a career in the teaching profession;
  3. Foreigners;
  4. Teachers that retired due to ill health; and
  5. Un- and under-qualified teachers.
7.4 Circuit Team Managers may also approve transfers to other schools (without referring the request for transfer to the Head Office) in cases where the transfer will promote the process of redeployment, i.e. where the transfer will bring about the redeployment of an excess teacher to a vacant substantive post. This measure also applies in cases where the transfer will allow for a Funza Lushaka bursary holder to be appointed in the post vacated as a result of the transfer.

8. Teachers in excess
8.1 Teachers who have already been declared in excess, based on previous establishments and in accordance with previous processes, and who are still in excess, retain their in-excess status. These teachers will be dealt with in terms of the prevailing collective agreements of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).
8.2 Teachers in excess may be absorbed into vacancies in the new staff establishment by way of matching and placing.
8.3 Permanently appointed teachers must be identified as in excess in terms of Collective Agreement 2 of 2003 of the ELRC.
8.4 The declaration of teachers in excess that cannot be matched and placed against the 2015 teacher establishments must be concluded by 30 November 2014. Circuit Team Managers will issue letters to the affected teachers informing them that they have been declared in excess and copies of such letters must be forwarded to the Directorate: Recruitment and Selection, for attention Mr Lindsay Jansen by not later than 30 November 2014.

9. Enquiries

Kindly address all enquiries pertaining to this circular and the relevant legislation to your Circuit Team Manager.

10. General

Please bring the content of this circular to the attention of all teachers and members of your school governing body.


SIGNED: JH LYNERS
ACTING HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2014:08:19