1. The revision of public service support staff establishments at ordinary public schools for 2016 was conducted based on learner numbers as at 31 July 2015.

2. The revision included public service support staff at ordinary public schools in line with the norms and standards, as communicated in Circular 0025 of 2011, and where ordinary public schools have hostels, in line with the norms and standards approved for hostels.

3. The aforementioned revisions were conducted on the following principles:

  1. maintaining stability at schools for 2016;
  2. determining the financial impact of increasing public service support staff allocations in line with the budgetary provision for the 2015/2016 medium term expenditure framework; and
  3. the rationalisation of the allocation of public service support staff to schools that lost learners, which requires an alignment of the public service support staff allocations with the approved norms and standards.
4. Given the current fiscal challenges in the compensation of employees’ budget of the Western Cape Education Department, it was approved by the Head of Education that schools that had no learner losses and/or gained learners will retain their 2015 public service staff allocations for 2016. Schools that lost learners will receive adjusted public service support allocations for 2016.

5. Ordinary public schools that stand to lose public service support staff posts during 2016 and who have contract employees in the affected posts, may not extend the contracts of the affected employees beyond 31 December 2015. Principals must inform contract employees by 30 November 2015, at the latest, that due to the abolishment of posts their contracts will not be extended after December 2015.

6. Permanent public service support staff at schools where support staff posts have been lost will be matched and placed against vacant posts at other schools. The process of matching and placing will be managed by district offices. All permanent employees that cannot be matched and placed will be declared in excess and will remain at their schools without changes to their conditions of service. In the event that permanent posts become vacant, employees in excess will receive preference for matching and placing into such posts before approval will be granted to fill the posts on a contract basis.

7. The public service support staff establishments for 2016 will be published on CEMIS under "Administration" on 13 November 2015.


SIGNED: PA VINJEVOLD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2015:11:04