WESTERN Cape Finance MEC Deirdre Baartman admits that overcrowded classrooms have become a concern, following teacher cuts.

The Western Cape government has been under fire after it announced that it would not renew the contracts of 2 407 teachers by the end of last year.

It meant that class sizes have grown from an average ratio of one teacher to 34.2 to one to 36.7.

In her budget speech on Thursday, Baartman announced R500 million had been allocated to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) over three years.

However, their primary concern would be to add more schools through the Western Cape Rapid Schools Build Programme, for which R2.298 billion has been budgeted for the same time period.

She added that the programme would receive R1.048 billion for 2025/26 and R1.250 billion for 2026/27.

Baartman said: “Our schools are witnessing an unprecedented increase in learner enrolment, which has resulted in overcrowded classrooms and a (increase) in the learner-teacher ratio.

“This rapid increase in numbers requires us to step up to provide infrastructure enhancements in the education space and an increased need to fund the employment of teachers.

“To accommodate learner growth, an additional R549.288 million over the medium term will be allocated to the WCED. With R173.202 million allocated in 2025/26, R182.914 million allocated in 2026/27 and R193.172 million in 2027/28.”

Baartman went on to explain: “This will assist the WCED to address the urgent need for additional classrooms and learning facilities in the province.”

During last month’s the State of the Province Address (Sopa) last month in Beaufort West, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), together with civil society organisations and opposition parties, picketed to highlight the issue of teacher cuts.

A memorandum handed to Premier Alan Winde read: “Teacher morale is low due to a lack of administrative breaks, and wealthier schools can employ more teachers than less fortunate ones.

“Cosatu demands that the WCED and the Western Cape Government stop wasting financial resources, recoup funds diverted from Education to Community Safety, stop building collaboration schools, and extend the contracts of all qualified teachers whose contracts were terminated.”

In his response Winde maintained: “The reason for the current shortfall is the decision by the national government not to fully fund the 2023 wage agreement. We build public ordinary schools in areas of demand.

"The 2024/2025 Educator Post establishment process has already been finalised. The reduction in teaching posts has increased the projected average teacher to learner ratio from 1:34.2 in 2024 to 1:36.7 in 2025. By making even more cuts in our own budget, we were able to make up to 477 teaching growth posts available to accommodate the extra learners in our schools.”