File picture: Courtney Africa, African News Agency (ANA)
THE SOUTH African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in the Northern Cape has voiced serious concerns about the state of education in the Province, highlighting numerous challenges that have marred the start of the 2025 academic year.
Sadtu expressed disappointment in the Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDOE), accusing it of failing to honour commitments made during a meeting on December 18, 2024. During the meeting, the department assured stakeholders that schools would resume smoothly in January 2025.
Instead, schools across the Province have been plagued by financial and logistical challenges. According to Sadtu, many schools have not received their full Section 21 and National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) allocations, with some schools receiving only 27% of the expected funds. These allocations are crucial for purchasing learning and teaching support materials (LTSM), covering operational expenses, and providing meals for learners.
“This situation is tantamount to a violation of the rights of children as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa,” the Sadtu Northern Cape secretariat stated on Wednesday, emphasising the plight of learners from working-class and impoverished families who cannot afford to buy their own stationery.
The union also refuted recent claims made by the Deputy Minister of Education that deliveries of LTSM across all provinces stood at 100%. “This is far from the actual reality, as the Northern Cape Department of Education delivered mostly workbooks and not stationery,” said Sadtu.
“A total of 193 schools are affected by non-payment of Section 21 which has decentralised LTSM and those having stationery is per arrangement with service providers.
“We are appalled by reports that, due to lack of funds, some schools are unable to provide meals for learners and hostels will be forced to send learners back home as from next week.”
Sadtu further criticised the department for only partially fulfilling its obligation to pay salary progressions to eligible education workers, leaving over 800 members without the payments they are entitled to.
Adding to the crisis, the union noted that the process for appointing teachers is currently suspended, preventing the hiring of temporary teachers. This delay is due to the Treasury's control over when such processes are opened or closed.
“At this point, as the union in the Northern Cape, we are running out of patience with the authorities entrusted with education in the Province. Having expressed our concerns, we will take steps to ensure order is restored and that quality public education is protected,” the union stated.
‘UNACCEPTABLE’
Meanwhile, ActionSA in the Northern Cape has joined the growing criticism of the NCDOE, expressing grave concerns about the "unacceptable state of school readiness" in the Francis Baard District.
In a statement released this week, ActionSA highlighted the department's failure to allocate necessary funding to schools, leaving many Quintile 1 and 2 schools unable to provide essential resources.
“Parents, who have already contributed through taxes, are now forced to bear the additional financial burden of purchasing textbooks and learner-teacher support materials (LTSM) that should have been supplied by the department. This mismanagement not only undermines the principle of free basic education but also places an unnecessary financial strain on already struggling households,” the party stated.
ActionSA also raised concerns about the suspension of the school nutrition programme, which has left thousands of children without meals. "The impact of hunger on a child’s ability to learn and thrive cannot be overstated, and the department’s neglect of this critical programme is a direct attack on the dignity and future of learners in our Province,” it stated.
The party referred to oversight visits it conducted in August 2024 after reports that the department had already exhausted its budget for the 2024025 financial year.
“The findings confirmed these allegations, raising serious questions about the department’s financial priorities and management. At the time, ActionSA provincial chairperson Andrew Louw warned the department to urgently address these issues to avoid the very crisis we now face. Despite this caution, no decisive action was taken and the consequences are now evident.”
ActionSA has now called for “immediate accountability and transparency” from the NCDOE.
“The full allocation of school budgets must be released without delay and the feeding scheme must be reinstated as a matter of urgency. The education and well-being of our children are non-negotiable, and this persistent negligence must come to an end,” it concluded.
DEPARTMENT ADMITS DELAYS
The Northern Cape Department of Education earlier this week admitted to delays in the disbursement of norms and standard allocations for the 2025 school year due to budget constraints.
Spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe explained that the department faced significant financial setbacks, including a R232 million budget reduction at the start of the 2024/25 financial year and a further R60 million cut during the year. Additionally, no funds were allocated for wage adjustments, resulting in a funding gap of nearly R600 million.
Despite these challenges, a portion of funds was secured with support from the Office of the Premier and Provincial Treasury to provide essential resources, such as stationery, learning aids for special schools, and hostel subsidies.
Van der Merwe also noted that schools were given the option to procure textbooks centrally or through their own suppliers, with 350 schools opting for central procurement and achieving 100% delivery. The other 204 schools made their own arrangements with suppliers.
The department is conducting a 10-day survey to identify issues such as shortages of school furniture, educators, and learning materials. Immediate interventions will be made to address problems affecting teaching and learning, Van der Merwe assured.
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