KZN teachers picket over education system ‘collapse’
Teachers across KwaZulu-Natal have begun picketing as frustrations grow over what they say is a total collapse of the province’s education system.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) says schools have not received funding from the Department of Education in KZN for textbooks, stationery, printing, and day-to-day operations.
" The fact that they are not able to give money to schools. The fact that even themselves, they're not at a provincial level, they're not able to attend meetings and workshops at national because there's no money,” says provincial spokesperson Nomarashiya Caluza.
"The fact that our kids can't participate in choral music and all the extracurricular activities is because there's no money. So, it means the department has collapsed."
Caluza says teachers are now refusing to perform unpaid work, including morning or afternoon classes, and attending meetings.
" We’re saying enough is enough because this thing of principal using their money to support schools is not sustainable. Their salaries are not for supporting schools. Those are the salaries they are earning because they are working. We have decided that nothing is happening. We just work for what we are paid for."
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Caluza adds that nothing has changed despite repeated calls and engagement with the provincial department, national treasury, and even the president.
She says they will continue with the protest action until schools are operating properly, and warns that the upcoming June exams could be impacted.
"How are they going to write exams? They're saying, 'We don't have toners, we don't have the photocopying machine, we don't have paper’. So, how are they going to write these examinations? There's nothing, solely nothing. We're not going to have a meeting to call for a meeting. They must call a meeting and tell us when they are paying."
The Department of Education in KZN says many of the current challenges are due to budget cuts, which are beyond its control.
The department says it is trying to work around the financial constraints.
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