Parents express concern as some KZN govt schools postpone June exams

Parents have expressed concerns after some KwaZulu-Natal government schools sent out letters that the June exams have been postponed, and winter holiday schooling camps called off. This as members of teachers’ unions refuse to set or mark papers in their own time, in protest against the lack of funds at some schools to administer the exams.

Teachers’ unions SADTU and NATU are blaming the provincial Department of Education for not paying schools their full subsidies. Premier Thami Ntuli had a meeting with unions and MECs on Wednesday to find a solution.

“What stopped examinations is the issue of unavailability of funds. What we heard yesterday from the Premier is a commitment to say that he has sourced R900 million to pay the outstanding amount to schools. However, that does not translate to money in the schools’ accounts. As such, schools are still in limbo when it comes to administering examinations. So, we will still wait. We’re saying to the principals they must still wait for the transfer to the school accounts so that they can then begin. So, we are just waiting patiently for the department to make those transfers,” NATU Secretary General Doctor Ngema explains.

SADTU’s KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Phumlani Duma has condemned the financial situation where schools are not getting their full subsidies, saying the education system has collapsed. Duma explains some of the challenges faced by schools.

“Schools are not necessarily unable to continue with the midyear exams, they are unable to operate at all. Especially because of the challenges of finances that are supposed to be paid by the department to the schools, the biggest challenge which makes the attention to focus on exams is that exams cannot be written without photocopies being made in schools. So, if you go to schools today, you will find that there are schools without ink, without a master roller. Without photocopying papers, and therefore it becomes a challenge, which means the exams will not necessarily be able to be written because of the system failure of the department. If you go to schools today and check with principals, what is it that is frustrating them, they will tell you that they have gone into their own pockets, they have finished their own monies trying to sustain the schools.”

 Video: KZN Department of Education has collapsed: Sadtu Provincial Secretary Nomarashiya Caluza