Latest news with #Sadtu
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
KZN Premier intervenes to resolve teachers' strike and ensure June examinations proceed
dfdfd Image: Meta AI The June examinations are back on track after intervention from KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, who undertook to bring an end to teachers' work-to-rule protest action. On June 2, the teachers' action involved strictly adhering to job regulations without any additional support. This meant schools cancelled extra classes and postponed the exams. The teacher unions had called on the Department of Education (DoE) to address their grievances - that included the failure to pay acting allowances to office based teachers and education workers; and the failure to appoint substitute teachers. Muzi Mahllambi, the spokesperson for the KZN DoE, said all schools would resume with the June examinations tomorrow. Ntuli as well as Francois Rodgers, the MEC for Finance, and Sipho Hlomuka, the MEC for Education, met with the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and the National Teachers' Union (Natu) last week. In a statement, Ntuli said R900 million would be reprioritised to support education. "All outstanding school payments (2024 and May 2025) will be paid within two weeks. The June exams will go ahead without disruption. Discussions on filling critical education posts are underway. As premier, I remain committed to ensuring that teaching and learning continue across KZN. This is about protecting the future of our children,' said Ntuli. On Monday, Sadtu held a meeting with the Head of Department for the KZN DoE, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, to discuss a payment plan and the status of the June examinations. Nomarashiya Caluza, Sadtu provincial secretary, said a number of schools did not write the exams as they lacked resources to administer the examinations. 'Many schools have raised concerns about how they are expected to administer exams without receiving the necessary funding from the department. It is widely acknowledged that these challenges stem from budget cuts implemented in recent years, along with decisions taken by the KZN Department of Finance. These include cash blocking, moratoriums on filling vacancies, and the freezing of approved posts on the department's organisational structure. 'The mere commitment by the premier to assist the department with R900 million does not automatically remove the reality that schools have no money and are waiting for the allocation from the department. 'The department will ensure that on June 18, all schools resume their mid-term examination. Schools that do not have the necessary resources to administer the June examination will be assisted by the department through printing enough examination papers for all affected schools." Caluza said the union used the meeting with Ngcobo to reiterate its stance on standardised tests. 'Forcing schools to write common tests undermines the intellectual capacity of teachers, who teach but are denied the opportunity to assess their pupils. It is noted that the department in KZN imposes the writing of common tests by all schools that got below 85% in the 2024 NSC examination. 'The department in its presentation suggested that there are high performing schools that voluntarily applied to write common tests. This is far from the truth as schools are forced to write these tests. The writing of common tests is costly to the department and remains unjustifiable, especially during this time when the department is struggling financially,' she added. Sadtu will meet with the DOE at the end of the month to discuss standardised tests. 'We have ended the work-to-rule action to allow the processing of payments and writing of examinations. This is a major victory for schools and for members who braved freezing conditions in the picket lines to fight for a just cause,' she said. Natu's secretary general, Doctor Ngema, said they were pleased that Ntuli was addressing compensation for Grade R teachers, which would be reviewed. 'We are also pleased that payments to National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers will be expedited to ensure uninterrupted food deliveries to schools. 'Hlomuka will engage further with Natu leadership on critical issues, including teacher recruitment and human resources processes. We acknowledge the premier's transparency regarding the province's constrained budget and commends his political will to address these challenges. The struggle continues, but we are encouraged by these steps forward,' Ngema added. THE POST
IOL News
18-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
KwaZulu-Natal government reallocates R900 million to education amid budget cuts
KZN Premier Thami Ntuli has directed Finance MEC Francois Rodgers to divert R900 million from other provincial departments to the education to fund the operations of the no-fee schools. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives THE majority of the KwaZulu-Natal departments will lose a combined total of almost a billion rands, which the provincial government diverted to provincial education to fund the operation of struggling schools. Only the health and social development, which are together with education, classified as frontline departments, have been spared from losing part of their budget. The no-fee schools have since 2022 struggled to operate as a result of government's budget cuts and austerity measures. The decision to allocate an additional R900 million to education came after a series of meetings between Premier Thami Ntuli, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and the National Teachers Union (NATU), who later engaged Finance MEC Francois Rodgers. Ntuli's spokesperson, Bongani Gina, said that after the meeting with the unions, Ntuli expressed the urgent need to resolve the long-standing financial constraints affecting the provincial Department of Education. 'The Premier directed Treasury to prioritise the reallocation of R900 million within the provincial budget. 'The reprioritisation will involve sourcing funds from across departments to restore the functionality of schools by ensuring they are adequately resourced to operate effectively,' said Gina. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza described the additional allocation as a victory for no-fee schools as the past three years have been struggling to function. 'The Premier appreciated SADTU's presentation and indicated that it provided him with a broader understanding of the challenges facing the Department of Education,' said Caluza. However, she said this additional allocation was still not enough because the schools were owed money that was not paid to them last year. It was the government's responsibility to fund the no-fee schools with R955 for each learner per year. Caluza said the department was supposed to pay 60% of the R955 in May or June, while another 40% was supposed to be paid towards the end of the year to assist the school in preparing for the beginning of the next school calendar. However, the government could not pay the schools because of the lack of funds, a situation that left many schools unable to function adequately. She said the department had even failed to pay the R955 in monthly installments. 'Which is why there are still schools owed for last year's fees' said Caluza. She said this had left the school principals with the responsibility of using their own money to keep the school functioning. 'It has become the responsibility of principals to pay from their pockets for the running of the schools, which is unfair. 'That is why you find that the schools would be out of electricity because they cannot pay the electricity bills,' said Caluza. She said that while principals would use their money to buy printing papers and other material required for teaching, the schools were no longer able to participate in sports and music competitions because there was no money. 'Even teachers find it very difficult to attend workshops and carry out their teaching duties. 'Principals would complain about running out of money, which led to quarrels within their families due to their inability to meet family responsibilities. 'If you are a principal, everyone in school is looking up to you to provide when teachers run out of teaching resources, which forces the principal to use their money whenever the department fails to pay,' she said. Caluza said in 2023 and late last year, Sadtu marched and picketed as principals were saying, 'we don't know how learners are going to write exams because there were not printing machines and papers.' 'SADTU views this development as a major victory for our schools and for our members who braved freezing conditions in the picket lines to fight for a just cause,' said Caluza. Finance MEC Francois Rodgers confirmed that health, education, and social development budgets will not be affected by this.
News24
18-06-2025
- General
- News24
KZN reschedules mid-year exams amid financial struggles
Sadtu in KwaZulu-Natal says it is against Grade 10 to 12 pupils in underperforming schools writing common tests. Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
The Citizen
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Bela Act guidelines issued, minister accused of ‘worthless' delays
Guidelines for the Bela Act were issued on Thursday, but no regulations have been gazetted by Minister Siviwe Gwarube. The legal fortitude of a set of guidelines issued by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube is under scrutiny. An announcement on regulations governing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act has been pending, but the minister chose a different option last week. The minister issued guidelines on the Bela Act on Thursday; however, these guidelines have not been gazetted, as would be the procedure for regulations governing legislation. Disputed Bela Act sections President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bela Act in September 2024, which amended certain sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996. Sections covering language and admissions policies were hotly contested, but Gwarube's guidelines reiterate that language and admission policies remain under School Governing Body (SGB) control. Anti-Bela Act Protestors were adamant that section 4 and 5 of the Bela Act would give education department officials undue control over schools by mandating schools to have their language and admission policies pre-approved by government. In the guidelines, Gwarube states that the document was approved after consultation with the Council of Education Ministers and instructed its distribution to all education administrators. The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) was unhappy, accusing Gwarube of attempting to create confusion around sections 4 and 5 of the Bela Act and delaying the release of the full regulations. 'The law is clear that the minister is only allowed to make regulations, not guidelines, in terms of the Bela Act, and that is the very reason that Sadtu rejected these guidelines in the first place,' the union stated on Friday. 'Sadtu are adamant that the guidelines are worthless. We are well aware of their tactics trying to halt [the Bela Act's] full implementation. 'We call on all our members who serve in the SGBs across the country to ignore these unlawful guidelines and demand for the implementation of the regulations,' the union concluded. Language and admissions The guidelines stipulate that language policy should be determined with pupils' best interests in mind, while considering the offerings at other schools and optimal use of classrooms and resources. On admissions, the guidelines advise that if a provincial department wishes to force a school to change policy, the department must allow the SGB an opportunity to dispute and discuss the change. 'The exercise of such authority must always be rational and informed only by all relevant factors,' state the guidelines. Gwarube's guidelines urge all parties to operate responsibly and in good faith to avoid litigation, adding that early planning was necessary. 'SGBs of public schools are strongly encouraged to take proactive measures as early as possible in the 2025 school year to ensure that their language policies comply with the requirements of section 6(5) of the SA Schools Act,' state Gwarube's guidelines. The Western Cape's online admission window closed in April, and the Gauteng Department of Education's (GDE) online admissions window runs from 24 July to 29 August. GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona recently told The Citizen that if the guidelines necessitated any changes to their system, it would be communicated to the public, but he referred specific questions on the guidelines to the national department. Questions on the guidelines and the gazetting of regulations were sent to the Department of Basic Education, but no response had been received at the time of publication. 'Heat under the pot' The Afrikaans community has been the most vocal about the Bela Act and their belief that it would be used to hijack Afrikaans-only schools. Wynand Boshoff, Freedom Front Plus (FF+) parliamentarian, welcomed restraints being placed on government officials who wished to meddle in schools' affairs. 'As long as these guidelines remain in effect, an HoD [head of department ] will not have the authority to suddenly intervene in a school's affairs without thorough consultation and reasonable consideration,' stated Boshoff. He explained that the guidelines applied to the norms and standards, but warned that a future minister could make alterations at their discretion. 'The FF+ remains cautious as the heat under the pot in which the frogs are being boiled has only been turned down ever so slightly. 'Ultimately, the pot is still on the stove. The Freedom Front Plus remains fully committed to self-determination in education,' Boshoff concluded. NOW READ: Full implementation of Bela Act bruises DA's ego
IOL News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Funding crisis in KZN Education Department, R900m pledged 'not enough'
Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza says all outstanding allocations need to be paid. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The R900 million pledged by the provincial government to tackle the funding crisis in the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department is insufficient to deal with all the outstanding issues plaguing the province's schools. This is according to a political party and labour union who said yesterday that more funding was needed. One source claimed that an additional R700m was needed. Last week, the provincial government committed to providing R900m for schools and for norms and standards funding after labour unions downed tools, which led to the disruption of exams at some schools. There had been reports that, as a result of the failure to disburse the funds, some teachers have been using their own funds to pay for school operations. Some school principals have claimed they are borrowing money to run school operations. This failure comes amid concerns that the numerous budget cuts by the national government have crippled the department financially. KZN Premier Thami Ntuli had said R900m has been secured to clear outstanding norms and standards payments, with disbursements to schools expected within three weeks. He also said the filling of teaching posts and timely payment of permanent and substitute educators would be prioritised, compensation for Grade R practitioners will be reviewed, and payments to National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers will be expedited to ensure uninterrupted food deliveries to schools. DA spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi noted the announcement from the Premier's Office regarding the allocation of R900 million to schools for norms and standards funding but said it was not enough. This funding is needed for operational costs, including the purchase of stationery, cleaning materials and to pay for municipal services, including water and electricity. He said close to R700 million additional funding was needed to deal with all the issues. 'While this is a step in the right direction, it is nowhere near enough to address the real crisis. The Department of Education is sitting with unpaid accruals, and hundreds of schools across the province are struggling to function due to months of delayed payments,' Mngadi stated. He also said that the protest by teacher unions, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), had disrupted exams in some schools. 'Sadtu's action has disrupted primarily rural districts, with some exams being cancelled. The department isn't forthcoming about when the matter will be resolved.' Sadtu has warned that its members will continue with its work-to-rule campaign and union members will work the seven hours a day they are contracted to work. Teachers, especially those who teach grade 12, also hold extra morning, afternoon and weekend classes, which they are not paid for. Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza commented, 'The money (R900m) is enough to cover the outstanding allocation to schools, which was supposed to be paid by May. What the union is fighting for is the allocation for May 2025 and the outstanding allocation for 2024. The union members are still working the contracted hours of 7 hours,' said Caluza. Regarding the exams, Sadtu said it has observed inconsistencies, with some schools cancelling exams while others proceeded as planned. The union said departmental leadership should provide clear guidance to ensure uniformity across all districts. The National Teachers' Union (NATU) said the intervention by the KwaZulu-Natal Premier was necessary. The union said its recent campaign, which included pickets at schools and district offices, has successfully pressured the provincial government to act on education funding. Thirona Moodley, provincial CEO of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa, said the financial challenges in the province have a direct impact on teaching and learning. 'The silence of the department is deafening and unacceptable. The department has shown no effort to improve the current circumstances. We have no substitutes in schools, and schools are not being paid their financial allocations. How do we expect schools to function? The department has collapsed, and Napotosa calls on the DBE to urgently intervene as the province has failed. When will it be enough?' She added that there had been some disruption to exams due to the crisis, stating, 'Some schools did not have the resources to print exam papers, but I did not have many of my schools report this to me.' KZN Education Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi stated that they are in serious engagement with Sadtu. 'There is now common ground, and we are just attending to the modalities.' THE MERCURY
