By Sihle Mavuso
Over 2,000 poor schools in townships and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal are facing a serious challenge after the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education failed to give them funds to prepare for exams.
The “norms and standards” money is given to schools which fall in the no-fee category to cater for education materials like printing paper and ink, and to pay service providers.
Each school gets the money based on the number of learners it has enrolled. The funds are given out in tranches; the main tranche is paid in July shortly after the beginning of the provincial government’s financial year. Schools have to submit audited financial statements before getting it.
However, this year two months into the 2023-24 financial year, the schools are yet to get the money, hampering their ability to administer trial exams and prepare for finals in a few weeks’ time.
According to a principal in Ilembe district, a total of 85 schools have not been paid the money.
“The department is not saying anything to principals about the money, yet the exams are around the corner and schools have to prepare. If schools don’t get this money, I doubt the exams will proceed smoothly,” the principal told Scrolla.Africa.
His claims were confirmed by his colleagues in the eThekwini and Umkhanyakude districts.
“It’s true that we have not received the money. Normally, all no-fees schools get it in July, but this time around there is no money from the department,” said the eThekwini principal.
Repeated attempts to get comments from the education department spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, failed. He did not take calls and did not respond to messages.
The DA spokesperson on education matters in the provincial legislature, Sakhile Mngadi, said the Portfolio Committee on Education has not been briefed about the matter.
He said the department only spoke about budget cuts but did not specify which services would be affected or cut.
Pictured above: The department led by MEC Sipho Hlomuka is yet to pay money to poor schools.
Source: Supplied
