SADTU disappointed with Godongwana's failure to address teacher job cuts in MTBPS

CAPE TOWN - The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) said that it was disappointed with the finance minister’s failure to address the impending educator job cuts in his medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS).

Enoch Godongwana tabled the MTBPS in Parliament on Wednesday.

In August, the Western Cape Education Department announced plans to cut over 2,400 teacher jobs next January due to a budget shortfall.

SADTU said that the allocation of R478.6 billion to basic education with an average growth of 4.7% between 2024 and 2028, was insufficient to tackle the challenges facing the sector.

The union reiterated that the reduction of teacher jobs would have a negative impact on the quality of education.

Additionally, SADTU contends that the allocated budget fails to recognise the critical infrastructure, materials, and human resources necessary to achieve the education goals outlined in the national development plan.