Principals and governing bodies are kindly requested to ensure that advertisements are filled in electronically on the draft vacancy list on the WCED Website at http://wced.wcape.gov.za .  Advertisements must be submitted electronically and no advertisement forms will be accepted. Principals must consult their circuit managers should they encounter difficulty with the filling in of advertisements on the draft vacancy list on the Website. Please refer to Circular 0010/2005 of 18 July 2005 in this regard (copy attached). Principals who are unable to access the Website must contact their circuit managers.

The requirements for appointment and the procedures for the filling of posts will be indicated in the relevant vacancy list. We wish to draw your attention to important changes to the procedures for filling posts, i.e. the Policy Implementation Directive for Compliance with Employment Equity at Education Institutions and the soon to be amended Section 6.3 of the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 which provide for school governing bodies to submit three nominees in order of preference. These prescripts will be issued under cover of separate circulars.

The following table provides the intended dates of vacancy list publication and other important relevant dates:

• All concerned will be able to process a more manageable number of posts while, at the same time, developing the knowledge and skills needed to implement the changes. The changes involve two directives which are to be implemented simultaneously: the Policy Implementation Directive for Compliance with Employment Equity at Education Institutions and the soon to be amended Section 6.3 of the Employment of Educators' Act, 1998.

• Once all concerned are more familiar with these requirements, they will be in a better position to apply them to applications for Post Level 1 posts, which normally make up the majority of posts advertised.

• Given that the filling of promotion posts normally leaves Post Level 1 posts vacant, it makes sense to advertise vacant Post Level 1 posts after filling promotion posts. Both schools and the Department will then know which Post Level 1 posts have become vacant as a result of the filling of promotion posts. In the past, we have had to appoint contract staff to these vacant posts, pending publication of the next vacancy list.

• So as to ensure, among other benefits, stability and greater job security for all concerned, the WCED is committed to exploring all possible procedures for the filling of vacant posts with permanent staff. We feel that this approach will reduce the number of temporary employees in the system, especially in Post Level 1 posts.

• Advertising Post Level 1 posts in the middle of the year will allow final-year students the opportunity to apply for posts for the following year.

The WCED views the advertising and filling of educator posts as an extremely important procedure. It cannot allow posts to be advertised and not filled because of a school governing body's or principal's failure to submit nominations on time. Advertised posts that are not filled create unacceptable instability in a school and the WCED regards such a situation in a very serious light. The WCED is determined to ensure that advertised posts are filled according to the schedule in Paragraph 3 above.

It has, therefore, been decided that if nominations are not submitted as per the scheduled dates, the WCED will invoke Chapter 3, Section 6(3)(d) of the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 to make appointments to the advertised posts (all levels) without the recommendation of the school governing body.