1. The revision of public service support staff establishments at special public schools for the period 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 was conducted based on the learner numbers as at 31 July 2016 in line with the approved norms and standards.

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

  1. maintaining stability at schools for 2017;
  2. determining the financial impact of increasing public service support staff allocations in line with budgetary provisions for the 2017/2018 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 to the approved norms and standards.
3. Given the current fiscal challenges in the compensation of employees’ budget of the Western Cape Education Department, the Acting Head of Education has granted approval for the retention of the 2016/17 public service staff allocations at schools that maintained/increased their learner numbers for the period 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. Schools that stand to lose posts due to learner decreases will receive adjusted public service support allocations for the period 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. However, as an exception, approval was granted for the revision of support staff allocations at hostels accommodating deaf and/or blind learners in line with learner growth and revised norms and standards.

4. Special public schools that stand to lose public service support staff posts on 01 April 2017 and who have contract employees in the affected posts, may not extend the contracts of the affected employees beyond 31 March 2017. Principals must inform contract employees by 30 November 2016 at the latest that due to the abolishment of posts their contracts will not be extended beyond 31 March 2017.

5. Special public schools that stand to lose public service support staff posts on 01 April 2017 and who have permanent employees in the affected posts, will have to undergo an excess declaration process similar to that followed for educators. All staff declared in excess will be matched and placed against vacant posts at other schools. The process of matching and placing will be managed by district offices. All excess employees that cannot be matched and placed will remain at their schools without changes to their conditions of service.

6. 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 2017 will be published on CEMIS under "Administration" on 10 October 2016.


SIGNED: BK SCHREUDER
ACTING HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2016:10:13