KZN principals panic ahead of new school year

PRINCIPALS in KwaZulu-Natal are panicking as schools head for a bumpy start to the new academic year, short of money, stationery and even basic cleaning supplies.

While the full scale of the problem is still emerging, education unions Sadtu and Naptosa have surveyed their members to pinpoint the gaps. 

SADTU’s media officer Nomarashiya Caluza said principals were asked about issues ranging from Learner and Teacher Support Materials (LTSM) and vacant posts, to school cleanliness and security. They also had to indicate whether their schools were ready to open next week, and explain why if they weren’t.

Of the 247 principals who responded by Friday night, 54% said their schools were not ready, while 46% reported readiness, though some described it as only partial.

“Whilst 60.1% of participating schools in Umlazi reported being ready, high levels of unreadiness were found in Umkhanyakude (69.6%), Ugu (69.4%) and Ilembe (68.6%). In these districts, more than two-thirds of schools indicated they are not ready,” Caluza said.

The survey showed that many schools have not received their basic financial allocations from the Education Department. At least 72.4% reported that their norms and standards funding had not been paid. More than half (56.7%) lacked LTSM, including stationery, textbooks and workbooks, because schools relying on central procurement are still waiting for deliveries.

“SADTU is planning to engage the HOD and the department’s management so that at least these schools are told how they are expected to function without these necessities. It is unfortunate that the failure of the department on its Constitutional obligations has become a common occurrence,” Caluza said.

The union said similar problems affected schools in 2025, forcing them to intervene when service providers threatened principals because of unpaid deliveries.

Caluza pointed to decisions by the Provincial Treasury as a major factor. She said Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act prevented the provincial Education Department from making procurement without Finance Department approval.

“This blocked orders by schools and KZNDOE, which normally happen in May. Only in October 2025 was a greenlight given—but it was limited to stationery for Section 21(c) schools, not textbooks. Normally, orders start in May to ensure deliveries from October,” she said.

Naptosa CEO Thirona Moodley said the department has repeatedly claimed it lacks funds. “Our biggest concern is that Section 21(c) schools—which do their own procurement and receive allocations—have not received funding. They could not order any Learning Teacher Support Material,” she said. “Several schools for children with special educational needs have also not received allocations. These schools are more expensive to run, with more teachers, teacher aides, hostels, house mothers and bus drivers. They are understandably worried about how they will open next week.”

KZN Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department was aware of the challenges and hoped to have them resolved before teachers return on Monday and learners on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, thousands of learners in Gauteng are still waiting for school placements as that province battles a separate admission crisis.