1. Teaching staff establishments for 2017

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 contents of that circular remain applicable to 2017, 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 2016 academic year, all teaching staff establishments issued to ordinary and special public schools (as well as all additional posts created for and issued to a public school in 2016 as a result of either increased learner enrolment or the curriculum needs of the school) expire on 31 December 2016.
1.2 The teaching staff establishments for 2017 will be published on the Central Education Management Information System (CEMIS) under the link Administration (Establishments) on 19 August 2016.

2. Additional allocations (Post Level 1 posts)

The WCED reserves the right to review the allocation of the 2017 teaching staff establishment if any information about a school, as contained on CEMIS, is found to be incorrect.
3. Revision of 2017 teaching staff establishments
3.1 Schools may request a review of the computation of their teaching staff establishment if the CEMIS learner enrolments reflected on the teaching staff establishment letter differ from the learner data on 31 July 2016. 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 teaching staff establishment letter is incorrect. In addition, schools which indicate that they have sufficient classrooms and have enrolled or intend to enrol additional learners for 2017 may apply for additional posts. Applications must be submitted during the period 22 August 2016 to 16 September 2016, and all applications must be done on CEMIS. No application for additional posts will be considered unless completed on CEMIS.
3.2 In the event that a school phases out a grade or grades, its teaching staff establishment 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 teaching staff establishments of the receiving school(s) will be revised.

4. Recalculation of teaching staff establishment owing to change in learner enrolment during 2016
4.1 The WCED reserves the right to abolish Post Level 1 posts if there is a drop in the school's learner enrolment in the course of 2017. In such cases, teachers appointed in a temporary capacity will be transferred, after consultation, to posts at other schools. Therefore, when recruiting teachers on a temporary basis, 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 must be made for 12 months if it is against an additional contract post granted to the school for 12 months. These nominations must be submitted to Head Office through the Contract Appointment Tracking (CAT) system.
4.3 Contract appointments against permanent vacant posts must be made for a period of six months, if the school qualifies for such a post. If the same post is still vacant after six months it must be filled by the same incumbent provided his or her performance is satisfactory.
4.4 All schools must update their enrolment totals on CEMIS by Tuesday, 07 March 2017. The teaching staff establishment of all those schools where learner enrolment is less than their learner enrolment on 31 July 2016 will be recalculated by 17 March 2017. If the school is to 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 2017.
4.5 In cases where there is an increase in learner enrolment from 11 January 2017 to 31 January 2017, the school may apply online, during the period 11 January 2017 to 31 January 2017, for (a) growth post(s). The learner enrolment total taken into consideration will be the enrolment total on CEMIS at the time of application. No application will be considered if it is not submitted on CEMIS.

The district office must ensure that all schools have submitted their applications online by 31 January 2017.
4.6 Principals are requested to note the following:

  • Nominations for teachers in additional posts, applied for as a result of the growth and/or curriculum needs of the school, may be made only after written approval has been granted by Head Office.
  • No teacher may commence with her/his duties prior to the approval granted for an additional post by Head Office.
5. Filling of advertised posts
5.1 All posts that have already been advertised on a WCED vacancy list may be filled permanently, provided that those posts appear on the 2017 teaching staff establishment.
5.2 Should an advertised post not appear on the 2017 teaching staff establishment, the school will not be 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 excess teacher, 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, signed by both the principal and the chairperson of the governing body, must accompany such a request.
5.5 To ensure stability in 2017, the WCED envisages using the conversion process to fill Post Level 1 posts for appointment on 01 January 2017. Where posts have been captured for advertising in Vacancy List 02/2016 and the school has identified a suitable teacher who can be converted from temporary to permanent status, the advertisement can be removed from the vacancy list.

6. Filling of vacant substantive teacher posts (based on teaching staff establishments of 19 August 2016)
6.1 During the People Management roadshows that were held from June to August 2016, principals were informed of the financial constraints on the Compensation of Employees (CoE) budgets for the 2016/2017 to 2018/2019 medium-term expenditure frameworks. A number of strategies and opportunities were identified to reduce the impact on CoE expenditure, which include the effective management and utilisation of excess teachers.
6.2 One of the cost drivers on the CoE budget is the carrying of excess teachers over and above schools’ staff establishments. These cost drivers have required the introduction of strategies to curb employee expenditure within the CoE budget. One of the strategies identified, which the WCED will implement and monitor closely, is the effective management and utilisation of excess teachers. The following actions will be taken within the timeframes identified:

Intervention activities Timeframe
All teachers who cannot be absorbed on the 2017 teaching staff establishments for 2017 are formally declared in excess. 01–30 September 2016
Districts identify suitable posts for teachers declared in excess for placement in 2017 and consult principals/governing bodies on the placement of excess teachers. Formal placement letters issued to teachers who can be matched and placed against vacant substantive posts for 2017. 01–31 October 2016
Districts provide list of "unplaceable" excess teachers to Head Office for cross-district placements. 31 October 2016
Head Office makes recommendations to districts for cross-district placements. 01–30 November 2016
Formal placement letters issued to teachers who can be matched and placed against vacant substantive posts for 2017. 01–30 November 2016
Excess teachers who cannot be matched and placed should not form part of the school's timetable for 2017. 07 December 2016
In the event that schools require additional teachers due to growth in learner numbers, districts will consult principals/governing bodies on the placement of excess teachers. Formal placement letters will be issued to teachers who can be matched and placed. 09 January 2017
6.3 Teachers who have already been declared in excess, based on previous teaching staff 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).
6.4 Permanently appointed teachers must be identified as in excess in terms of Collective Agreement 2 of 2003 of the ELRC.
6.5 Efforts to place excess teachers will continue during the 2017 academic year in the event that teachers leave the services of the WCED and the excess teacher profile meets the curriculum needs of the vacant teacher post(s).
6.6 Appointment of new entrants

Another strategy to curb costs on the CoE budget is to appoint new entrants to the education profession in the WCED instead of teachers who are already remunerated at high salaries. In so doing, we will also make provision for new, younger teachers to enter the employ of the WCED.

A new-entrant teacher is defined as a final-year student and/or any suitably qualified teacher who graduated in the past three years and who has never been employed by the state. This group includes Funza Lushaka bursary holders.

At the same time, we acknowledge that schools should have the ultimate choice to choose the best person for their school. In order to ensure we balance the different interests, if principals and governing bodies have strong objections to the appointment of such new entrants at their schools, they must approach the Head of Education at the WCED directly in writing (copying the relevant District Director) and await the outcome of their petition. Such petitions must be submitted at least two weeks before the teacher is to assume duty to allow for proper consideration of each case.
6.7 Other suitably qualified teachers

Only qualified teachers with an REQV 13 or higher may be considered for vacant substantive teacher posts. The WCED will exercise its right to employ other teachers only if no qualified teachers can be identified from the aforementioned categories.

7. Filling of additional teacher posts (based on applications for growth and curriculum needs between 22 August 2016 and 16 September 2016)
7.1 Preference for the filling of additional teacher posts will be given to teachers in the following order:

  • Excess teachers
  • New-entrant teachers
  • Other suitably qualified teachers

Only qualified teachers with an REQV 13 or higher may be considered for vacant and additional teacher posts. The WCED will exercise its right to employ other teachers only if no qualified teachers can be identified from the aforementioned categories. Applications for the appointment of temporary teachers in the following categories need prior approval from the Director: Recruitment and Selection:

  1. Teachers over the age of 65 years;
  2. Teachers that exited the employ of the state due to:
    • Retirement
    • Resignation
    • Ill health
    • Misconduct
    • Abscondment
  3. Foreigners;
  4. Unqualified and underqualified teachers.
7.2 District offices may approve transfers to schools 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 new-entrant teacher to be appointed in the post vacated as a result of the transfer.

8. Enquiries

All enquiries pertaining to this circular and the relevant legislation should be addressed to circuit managers.

9. General

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all teachers and members of the governing body.


SIGNED: PA VINJEVOLD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2016:08:17