Activists gather outside WCED to protest budget cuts in the education sector

CAPE TOWN - Protestors on Monday gathered outside the Western Cape Education Department offices, in Cape Town, to protest budget cuts in the education sector.

Last month Provincial Education MEC David Maynier announced the scrapping of over 2,400 teaching positions from January next year due to a R3.8 billion budget shortfall over the next three financial years.

Other provinces are also facing budget challenges and may have to slash funding towards other crucial programmes such as school transportation and to maintain teacher posts.

The small group of protesters are belong to the Western Cape Education Crisis Committee - comprising teachers, unions and civil society organisations. 

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They chanted "education is a human right", and held placards reading "no to budget cuts" and "education over austerity".

The protest comes at the back of last week's bleak picture painted by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

While giving an update on the impact of budget cuts on provincial education departments - Gwarube highlighted that seven provincial Education Departments will not be able to afford their budgets by 2027/28.

Western Cape Education Crisis Committee said it won't stop demonstrating over budget cuts until they are stopped.