SADTU flags tough start to 2026 school year amid material shortages and austerity pressures

Mapaballo Borotho

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SADTU says the 2026 academic year has started under difficult conditions, with some schools still lacking materials and registering learners.
The union blames austerity measures for teacher shortages, overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure.
It warns that these challenges undermine the right to basic education and threaten education quality, especially in poorer schools.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) says it would have been ideal for learning and teaching to take place in all schools across the country on Wednesday as the 2026 academic year got underway.

However, this has not been fully realised, with some schools still awaiting the delivery of learning and teaching materials, while others continue to register learners, leaving long queues at school gates.

SADTU spokesperson Nomusa Cembi says the new academic year has begun against the backdrop of deepening austerity measures that continue to severely affect the basic education sector.

She points to ongoing challenges including teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, delayed learning and teaching support materials, and growing workloads for educators.

“Teaching and learning will therefore take place under difficult conditions that place immense pressure on both educators and learners,” she said.

Cembi says these conditions place immense pressure on both teachers and learners, undermining the constitutional right to basic education and compromising the quality of learning, particularly in poorer schools.

She adds that the continued post-freezes, budget cuts, and underinvestment in education threaten to reverse the gains made in learner performance and access to education, stressing that the union remains committed to opposing severe budget cuts that could harm learners.

“Despite these challenges, SADTU calls on its members to remain professional, united, and focused on the core mandate of education. At the same time, we reaffirm that educators cannot be expected to do more with less indefinitely. The sacrifice and resilience of teachers must not be normalised or exploited,” she said.