3.2.1 Temporary Educators - the Department of Education was required in terms of the 2010 financial turn around plan to terminate the services of temporary educators on the 31st December 2010. The termination was part of addressing identified inefficiencies and aimed at addressing the cost pressure on the personnel component of the budget which was overspending. It is required in terms of the South African Schools Act, that the MEC declares posts for institutions every year. Once the MEC had made such declarations, the Head of Department was required to distribute such posts to schools. The distribution of posts entailed the allocation of posts to the various schools taking into account various factors. The Department appointed temporary teachers from January 2010 after the declaration of posts for the 2010 post establishment. The Department declared 69390 posts for the 2010 academic year but could not secure a budget to fund all these posts.