Statement by André Gaum, Western Cape Education Minister

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) will implement a revised national post-provisioning model in schools next year, which is aimed at achieving greater equity in education. We are in the process of sending out staff establishments based on this model to schools.

The national Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, promulgated the model in the Government Gazette on Friday (15 November 2002).

The national Department of Education has developed the model in consultation with provincial education departments, governing body organisations, educator unions and other interested parties. The model applies nationally. Unfortunately, there has been a delay in finalizing the latest model, given the complexities of the latest version.

Post provisioning models are used as a matter of routine to work out the annual post establishments of schools, based on their requirements and the school staffing policy of the government.

The model includes a complex formula for working out the post establishments of each school as fairly and as equitably as possible, using two key criteria, namely, the number of learners at each school, and the particular needs of learners at each school.

The model identifies an extensive range of needs, and weights needs according to their relative importance, for example, the need to bolster teaching in certain subjects, and the relative poverty of the school, among others.

The formula takes factors into account, such as ideal maximum class sizes for specific subjects, period load on educators, the need to promote certain learning areas, school size, the number of grades, the number of languages of instruction, disabilities of learners, and access to curriculum.

The poverty indicator that applies to allocations for norms and standards funding of general expenses at schools will be similar to the weighting now applicable to post provisioning, where poorer schools benefit more than the least poor schools.

Certain ad hoc factors can also apply, for example, where schools experience unexpected growth in learner numbers.

Ideally, we would like to employ more teachers next year. However, our education budget, according to the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), next year will mean that we will have to reduce the number of educator posts across the education system by a net total of 340 .

Permanently appointed educators can only be declared in excess in terms of a procedure resolution negotiated in the Educational Labour Relations Council (ELRC). Permanently appointed educators will therefore only be declared in excess when a resolution in this regard has been signed and implemented.

Schools in all areas will both gain and lose posts as we apply this model next year, to varying extents.

Situations where schools lose or gain reflect both the combination of losses and gains in the numbers of learners enrolled, and the weightings given to particular learner needs.