The 7.5% increase has created a looming catastrophe for the sector
11 September 2024 - 16:55
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Trade unions using aggressive protests in their ever-growing demands for salary increases might never have thought the country could end up with consequences such as the looming catastrophe in the education system, as revealed by Joy Maimela, head of the portfolio committee on basic education.
The 7.5% increase will have a devastating effect on education in all provinces, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal suffering the most because of their very large school-age populations. KwaZulu-Natal, which already has 8,242 unaffordable teacher vacancies, will have 2,762 more unaffordable vacancies with the pay hike, with a total of 11,000 unfunded vacant posts, made worse by the stagnant economy.
The Western Cape government has announced that it will have to cut 2,400 teaching posts at the end of the year, while KwaZulu-Natal says it may not be able to pay service providers within the stipulated 30 days or municipal accounts for schools because of the R4bn shortfall.
The pay hike will cost R2.7bn, with a monthly payment of R194m. The department will be left with little to no funding for fixed operational costs, pupil support material, pupil transport, service providers or municipal accounts.
There is now a huge wave of hope and optimism sweeping across the country, both in the public and private sectors, directly linked to the new government of national unity; we must make sure we do not detract from this.
While employees have every right to seek just compensation for their labour, we have to be mindful of the country’s economic status and not demand unaffordable salaries that have a negative effect on all other government departments and end up plunging our country into a catastrophe that will be difficult to reverse.
Cometh Dube-Makholwa Midrand
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Teachers’ pay hike will hurt education
The 7.5% increase has created a looming catastrophe for the sector
Trade unions using aggressive protests in their ever-growing demands for salary increases might never have thought the country could end up with consequences such as the looming catastrophe in the education system, as revealed by Joy Maimela, head of the portfolio committee on basic education.
The 7.5% increase will have a devastating effect on education in all provinces, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal suffering the most because of their very large school-age populations. KwaZulu-Natal, which already has 8,242 unaffordable teacher vacancies, will have 2,762 more unaffordable vacancies with the pay hike, with a total of 11,000 unfunded vacant posts, made worse by the stagnant economy.
The Western Cape government has announced that it will have to cut 2,400 teaching posts at the end of the year, while KwaZulu-Natal says it may not be able to pay service providers within the stipulated 30 days or municipal accounts for schools because of the R4bn shortfall.
The pay hike will cost R2.7bn, with a monthly payment of R194m. The department will be left with little to no funding for fixed operational costs, pupil support material, pupil transport, service providers or municipal accounts.
There is now a huge wave of hope and optimism sweeping across the country, both in the public and private sectors, directly linked to the new government of national unity; we must make sure we do not detract from this.
While employees have every right to seek just compensation for their labour, we have to be mindful of the country’s economic status and not demand unaffordable salaries that have a negative effect on all other government departments and end up plunging our country into a catastrophe that will be difficult to reverse.
Cometh Dube-Makholwa
Midrand
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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