The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is the department of the Western Cape Government responsible for early childhood development, primary and secondary school education within the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
The department divides the Western Cape into eight education districts, and educates more than 1,000,000 learners in a year, with a staff of around 35,000 educators.
The Department’s primary objectives are to improve the language and mathematics skills of learners; to improve matric results; and improve access to quality education in poor communities.
The department is responsible for education at all levels including:
- Early childhood development.
- General education and training.
- Further education and training.
The WCED plans and manages education via four branches, namely:
- Education Planning
- Curriculum and Assessment Management
- Institution Development and Coordination
- Corporate Services
Education Planning provides research, policy coordination, planning and resource support, centralised information management and quality assurance.
Curriculum and Assessment Management is responsible for curriculum development, support and coordination for general and further education and training, as well as the growing functions of assessment and examinations and in-service teacher training.
Institution Development and Coordination coordinates education management by eight education districts and provides institutional management support to schools. The branch includes the Chief Directorate: Inclusive Education and Special Programmes to manage special school education and other special programmes including Early Childhood Development.
Corporate Services, is responsible for managing financial resources, including, financial and management accounting, internal control, procurement management. It also includes managing people management practices which includes service benefits, recruitment and selection, employee relations and strategic people management.
Vision and Mission
Quality Education
– for every child
– in every classroom
– in every school in the province
Office Bearers/Management
| MEC: | David Maynier (Minister) (Democratic Alliance) |
| Head of Department: | Brent Walters |
| Chief of Staff: | n/a |
| Deputy Directors General: | – Salie Abrahams (Education Planning) – Leon Ely (Corporate Services) – Bertram Loriston (Curriculum and Assessment Management) – Alan Meyer (Institution Development and Coordination) |
| Chief Directors: | – Juan Benjamin (Curriculum Management and Teacher Development) – Matthys Cronje (People Management Practices) – Ian de Vega (Business Intelligence Management) – Lesline McGlenatendolf (Physical Resources) – Heather Van Ster (Acting: Districts) – Erna Veldman (Financial Management) |
| Directors: | – Lucia Bredenkamp (Examinations Administration) – Gerrit Coetzee (Physical Resources Planning and Property Management) – Adv Lynn Coleridge-Zils (Policy Coordination) – Ryana De Bruyn (Supply Chain Management) – Ignatius du Preez (Inclusive and Specialised Education Support) – Karen Dudley (Curriculum Development: General Education and Training) – Colin Esau (Employee Relations) – Riaan Eyssen (Management Accounting) – Krisseelan Govinden (Research) – Sanjith Hansraj (Knowledge and Information Management) – Dhroonlall Haripersad (Curriculum Development: Further Education and Training) – William Jantjies (Institutional Management) – Ruth Leukes (Early Childhood Development) – Marie Mocke (Recruitment and Selection) – Zukisani Mpisi (Financial Accounting) – Phillip Nieuwoudt (Infrastructure Delivery Management) – Rudolf Oosthuizen (Strategic People Management) – Devigi Pillay (Service Benefits) – Ashley Roman (Acting: Business Strategy and Stakeholder Management) – Washiela Salie (Internal Control) – Faiq Salie (Assessment Management) – Granville Stander (Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute) – Paul Swart (Institutional Resource Support) – Clinton Walker (eLearning) |
| Senior Management: | Odette Cason (Head: Office of Ministry) |
| Communications Officers: | – Tania Colyn (Acting Spokesperson: Minister) – Bronagh Hammond (Director: Communication) – Kerry Mauchline (Media Liaison Officer: Ministry) |
Contact Details
The contact details of the Western Cape Department of Educaton are listed in the table below.
| Physical Address: | 1 North Wharf Square, 2 Lower Loop Street, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001 |
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X9114, Cape Town, 8000 |
| Telephone: | 0861 819 919 |
| Email: | media1.media1@westerncape.gov.za |
| Website: | wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za |
| Call Centres: | – Safe Schools: 0800 45 46 47 – Employee Wellness: 0800 111 011 – Employment and Salary Enquiries: 0861 819 919 |
