Sadtu teachers march criticised
Local teachers joined a march of the KZN South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in Durban on Friday to protest against a number of issues at schools
WITH less than 10 days before the start of the matric exams, the KZN Department of Education has criticised the timing of a provincial teachers march.
Local teachers joined a march of the KZN South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in Durban on Friday to protest against a number of issues at schools.
These include the lack of safety and security measures at schools, failure of the Department of Education to fill vacant posts and the subsequent freezing thereof, infrastructure challenges and failure to transfer financial allocations to schools which negatively impacts operations.
The union said some schools in the uMkhanyakude and King Cetshwayo districts have not received allocations at all, leaving principals in debt.
‘Sadtu cannot allow this exploitation to continue. Our principals are deep in debt as they borrow money to run their schools,’ said Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza.
Education MEC spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said the department noted the timing of the protest march ‘with interest’.
‘This year close to 198 000 candidates have registered for the National Senior Certificate examinations in KZN.
‘It is obvious that the disruptive protest march comes as the province readies itself for the all-important matric examinations.’
Mthethwa said funding allocation delays are a result of questionable learner numbers.
‘Some learners’ names appear in more than one school. This puts a huge financial burden on the department and the department has informed schools that resource allocations will be based on verification of learners’ ID numbers to eliminate duplication.
‘Schools were requested to supply missing learner ID numbers or affidavits. Those who complied have already received their allocations,’ Mthethwa said.
The DA also lashed out at the union for marching during school hours, calling it ‘reckless and unfair on learners as they cannot afford to miss school during this time’.
‘Learners deserve to enter this stressful period with the full support of educators and school structures,’ DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education Ian Ollis said.
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