Durban — The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of education in KwaZulu-Natal, stating that conditions in the sector may be at their worst yet.
During a press briefing held in Durban, Sadtu provincial secretary, Nomarashiya Caluza, voiced her frustration over the government’s failure to meet its financial commitments to schools, especially those designated as no-fee institutions.
The union held a series of engagements with the provincial education department over the past eight days. Sadtu’s leadership articulated the severe impact of underfunding on schools that primarily serve the province’s most disadvantaged communities. The briefing served to update union members and the public about the pressing issues affecting the quality of education, which the Constitution of South Africa recognises as a basic human right.
Caluza highlighted that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has failed to disburse necessary financial allocations to schools, which are largely reliant on government funding to operate.
“Principals are forced to use their own money to keep schools running, which is unsustainable,” she said.
Caluza said that the allocations for no-fee schools, which cater to the province's poorest learners, are grossly inadequate, leaving many schools struggling to provide essential resources like textbooks and stationery.
Quintile 1-3 schools receive R955 per learner, significantly less than the national norm of R1 602.
Quintile 4 learners are funded at R522, below the national norm of R803.
Quintile 5 learners receive R179 compared to a norm of R277.
“These figures reveal the significant disparity in funding, with quintiles 1-3 – consisting of impoverished learners in rural areas – suffering the most. In a sobering reminder of the socio-economic struggles faced by families in these communities, many parents simply cannot contribute financially to their child’s education,” Caluza said.
Over the past three years, Sadtu has resorted to pickets to compel the department to honour financial commitments to educational workers. Caluza pointed out that the Grade R basic allocation has not been paid since January and that the department is failing to respect the Collective Agreements regarding pay progression for educators.
“This oversight undermines the very foundation of early childhood development, which is critical for our learners,” Caluza stated.
In response to these ongoing challenges, Sadtu has taken action, holding pickets at district offices to amplify their demands. Recently, Sadtu reported a breakthrough in negotiations, with the provincial government acknowledging its shortfalls and forming a task team aimed at finding long-term solutions to the funding crisis.
Among the positive outcomes from recent engagement is the payment of R107 million to schools and a commitment to increase stipends for Grade R practitioners by the end of November. However, Sadtu leaders insist that all owed funds must be paid before the academic year ends to prevent further hardship for schools operating on limited resources.
“As the situation continues to unfold, Sadtu has called on the public and political figures to understand the underlying causes of their protests instead of dismissing them as mere inconveniences.
“We will not be silenced or ridiculed for advocating for our members and the right to quality education,” Caluza said.
“This is not just about financial allocations; it’s about justice and proper treatment of educators and learners.”
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