WCED Asks South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) to Resume Talks on Ad Hoc Teaching Posts

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has informed the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) that it wants to reopen a discussion on the future of 458 ad hoc teaching posts in the province.

The WCED introduced ad hoc posts in 2003 as a redress measure to improve the teacher: learner ratio in poor schools. Teachers in ad hoc posts hold them on a contract basis, which has made it easier to top up establishments based on the national post-provisioning model.

Earlier this year during consultations on school staff establishments for 2007, SADTU demanded that all ad hoc posts be converted to permanent posts. The WCED agreed to convert the posts in phases over three years, starting with 152 in 2007. As a result, some schools lost posts, because we have to distribute permanent posts according to the national post-provisioning model.

This in turn led to an outcry from schools that lost posts. These included schools that lost posts because of a decline in learner numbers, rather than the conversion of ad hoc posts to permanent posts.

The WCED and SADTU have since consulted again on the issue. Following these discussions, we have agreed not to change our position on converting the ad hoc posts, but will identify other posts that can be used to meet the needs of poor schools.

The WCED now has 306 ad hoc posts, following the conversion of the first batch of 152 of the posts to permanent posts. The department has distributed the 306 posts according to the greatest need, starting with the poorest schools, in line with existing practice.

Over the past three years, the department has sought redress for poor schools by distributing ad hoc posts to the poorest schools first, to ensure that the learner: teacher ratio is not more than 39.5: 1 in primary schools and 33.5: 1 in high schools.

The department then assists less poor schools, after first improving the learner: teacher ratios in the most poorest schools.

The WCED made it clear from the start that no school is entitled to ad hoc posts. We indicated when we introduced the system in 2003 that we would withdraw these posts should conditions change, for example, if learner numbers fluctuate, or if we no longer had funding for the posts.

The main criterion for distributing posts, according to the national provisioning model, is the number of learners at the school. If schools attract learners, they qualify for more posts. If they lose learners, they lose posts.

The model also makes provision for curriculum needs as well as a 5% top-slice for poverty redress. Schools therefore receive sufficient staff for their curriculum needs in terms of the national post-provisioning model.

Some schools have given the impression that the WCED is rationalising, or reducing the number of posts in the system by converting ad hoc posts to permanent posts.

This impression is completely false. The department has in fact increased the number of teaching posts in the province by 500 for 2007. This is the biggest increase in the number of teaching posts in the Western Cape for the past three years.

The most important reason why schools have lost posts has been because they have lost learners.

Meanwhile, the WCED has identified 120 posts that are available for redistribution because of a decline in enrolment at certain schools. The department has used these to top up staff establishments at poor schools.

These include schools that previously had ad hoc posts. Some schools have received top-up posts, despite losing learners, to ensure that the learner: teacher ratio is no more than 33.5: 1 in high schools and 39.5: 1 in primary schools.

Examples of how schools have lost and gained posts include the following:

Intlanganiso Secondary has lost 242 learners, resulting in a loss of seven posts. However, to bring them closer to a learner: teacher ratio of 33.5: 1 in 2007, the WCED has added two ad hoc posts to their staff establishment.

Similar examples include Oscar Mpetha Secondary that lost 273 learners and eight posts, and gained one ad hoc post. Tafelsig Secondary lost 257 learners and seven posts, and gained one ad hoc post. Beacon Hill Secondary lost 227 learners and six posts, and gained two ad hoc posts.

Fairmount Secondary, on the other hand, lost two more posts after appealing, because their latest enrolment figures indicated a further loss of learners. Learner numbers have declined by a total of 235, resulting in a loss of six posts. The school has also lost two ad hoc posts because the learner: teacher ratio without these posts is close to the norm.