SADTU MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE COLLAPSE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN KWAZULU NATAL. 02 June 2025 SADTU MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE COLLAPSE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN KWAZULU NATAL. The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) issues this public statement to inform SADTU and the general public, the current status of education in the province. The challenges faced by schools and education workers both school-based and office-based are well known, as SADTU has consistently raised these issues over time. Formal bilateral meetings with the employer, marches and pickets have been held, but despite these efforts, the situation continues to deteriorate. It is important to first remind all stakeholders of the legal obligations placed on the employer regarding schools and learners. Section 29(1)(a) of Chapter 2 of South African Constitution (Act 108 of 1996) states, “Everyone has a right to basic education including adult basic education.” This is a chapter in the Constitution that all basic human rights are put together and which the State, through its organs and institutions, must ensure that they are protected and are advanced. Section 34 (1) of Chapter 4 of the South African Schools’ Act, (Act 84 of 1996) states, “The State must fund public schools from public revenue on equitable basis in order to ensure the proper exercise of the rights of learners to education and the redress of the past inequalities in education provision.” Section 28 (2) of the SA Constitution further affirms that: “A child’s best interests are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child. Despite these constitutional and legislative obligations, the KZN Department of Education consistently failed in the following areas: § Non-payment of basic finance allocation, failing to adhere to national norms and standards. For example, for Quintile 1-3 schools, KZN pays R955 per learner instead of R1602, resulting in a shortfall of R647. § Failure to pay the basic finance allocation to schools in May § Unilateral introduction of tranches or installments when paying allocations to schools. § Failure to pay Acting Allowances to Office Based teachers and education workers. § Non-compliance with Collective Agreements, especially regarding acting allowances. § Failure to appoint substitute educators, thereby undermining existing education policies. § Teachers and other education workers can’t pay municipality bills, can’t attend education workshops and meetings organized for developmental purposes. § Schools have no money to procure other teaching and learning support resources. § Non-payment of service providers that supplied schools with stationery in January § Non-payment of Grade R practitioners in April. § No participation of schools in extracurricular activities, as the Department claims it has no funds. § Teacher appreciation initiatives like the National Teaching Awards are under threat, as the department failed to organize again in 2024 claiming it has no funds. § Inability of Office Based education workers to attend national training sessions and meetings, again due to lack of funds. § Department has engaged in “silent retrenchment” processes as there is a moratorium on filling of vacancies for school clerks, teacher assistants, security etc. § Lack of security in schools exposing teachers to danger – two teachers had their vehicles hijacked at gunpoint on school premises in two months. § Insufficient tools of trade – for instance, office-based workers are limited to 1700 kilometers per month to travel, which is inadequate given the vastness of our province. Taken together, these failures of the Department of Education are not just in contempt of the education policy or Act, but also a blatant disregard of the Constitution, the supreme law of the land. SADTU KZN draws the attention of its members, education stakeholders, the media and the general public of KwaZulu-Natal and beyond to the dire and dysfunctional state of education in the province. Senior officials in the Department are well aware of the crisis and yet have done nothing to improve the situation. For the longest time, SADTU as a progressive and revolutionary Union, has always supported initiatives aimed at addressing challenges in the education sector. We have consistently called on our members to focus their energy on improving learner outcomes. Thanks to the dedication of our members, KwaZulu-Natal’s matric results have improved year after year. These members worked beyond normal hours out of commitment to quality public education delivery. Principals have been using their own money to keep their schools functional. No one can claim that we have not raised these issues before. Examples include: • In October 2023 SADTU pulled a mother of all marches to highlight the funding crisis in the province and call for it to be addressed as a matter of urgency. • In the last term of 2024 SADTU was engaged in two weeks of engagements with the employer, while other members held pickets • During the Presidential Imbizo at UMnini, SADTU raised these concerns directly. Despite engagements and repeated commitments from the Department, no tangible progress has been made. The level of inaction is at its highest. It is for these reasons that SADTU has declared the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education as having COLLAPSED. As a result, the Union has resolved on the following actions: • Members are currently on a work-to-rule campaign • Members will not attend meetings or workshops organized by the department • Principals do not attend meetings or workshops and will boycott making submissions until the department pays all the money owed to schools. Only then will they have the means to organize and attend departmental programmes. • Members will focus exclusively on 7 hours of classroom teaching, no extra classes will be conducted The end ISSUED BY: SADTU KZN Secretariat https://www.sadtu.org.za/2025/sadtu-media-statement-on-the-collapse-of-the-department-of-education-in-kwazulu-natal