LISTEN | Broke education department stops hiring more teachers

It has a minimum shortfall of R79bn: R11.8bn in the Eastern Cape, R7.7bn in the Free State, R20bn in Gauteng, R26.7bn in KwaZulu-Natal, R546m in Limpopo, R4.3bn in Mpumalanga, R2.2bn in the Northern Cape, R692m in the North West and R4.4bn in the Western Cape.

Gwarube said the result was fewer teachers, less textbooks and led admin staff. The department has already experienced teacher shortage for years.

“The future of our children is under threat if we continue on this trajectory. We have appealed to provinces to retain the posts they have for us not to effect frontline services, or compromise the education outcomes we want to improve,” she said.

She warned provinces will find it difficult in the next two to three years to fund their existing posts and programmes in their available budget unless measures are taken to mitigate this risk.

“Most provincial departments require between R350m to R3.8bn over the medium-term to fully fund their posts.”