Karoo high school warns of closure after covering more than R700,000 in unpaid teacher salaries

Karoo high school signals indefinite closure after years of unpaid teacher salaries

Middelburg High School in the upper Karoo region of the Eastern Cape has announced it will close its gates “from Monday until further notice”, saying it can no longer carry the cost of teacher salaries the school says the provincial education department has not paid since 2025.

School says funds exhausted after covering educator pay

In a notice issued on Wednesday, the School Governing Body (SGB) said the institution has spent more than R700,000 from its own limited funds to cover salaries that should have been paid by the department.

“The SGB regrets to inform you that the school will be closed from Monday until further notice,” the school said.

The notice blamed the department for failing to “fulfil its constitutional duty to appoint and pay educators” and said the school can no longer sustain the financial burden without compromising its operational integrity.

Education department says it is dealing with the matter and school will stay open

The Eastern Cape education department told IOL it was aware of the situation and was “actively addressing it.” The department said Middelburg High School will remain open and continue operating as normal.

“I can so long affirm that the department is cognisant of the Middelburg High School situation and is actively addressing it,” education spokesperson Velani Gola said late on Wednesday night. “Classes will continue as per normal schedule on Monday. SASA unequivocally delineates whose prerogative it is to formally close any school.”

The department noted that only the head of department has the authority to officially close a public school under the South African Schools Act (SASA).

Post provisioning, learner numbers and staffing situation

IOL reported that, under the 2026 post-provisioning norms, the school qualified for eight educators: one principal, one head of department and six post-level-one teachers. As of August last year the school had 199 learners, with a learner-to-educator ratio of 24.9.

The learner cohort comprised 38 Grade 8 pupils, 50 Grade 9, 38 Grade 10, 39 Grade 11 and 34 Grade 12 learners. The school did not apply for an additional growth post for 2026 and received no extra educators.

The school has two vacancies for Afrikaans teachers for Grades 10 to 12. The department said there are currently no additional Afrikaans educators available, meaning the school may appoint two temporary teachers who could be converted to permanent posts after 90 days subject to further approvals. The situation in the Chris Hani West district is complicated by the fact that many applicants are retired or previously resigned educators, and final appointments require permission from the head of department.

Unions and precedent

Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel described the school’s position as desperate and blamed the department for the pressure on small schools.

“The school has run out of money and the department still owes it funds. This is a desperate situation for the school. But if this forces the department to come to the table, that would be a good thing, but it is risky because the department will likely look for someone to blame.”

Manuel said small schools have always struggled financially and that, where the department does not immediately appoint a temporary educator, schools often pay staff themselves, placing an enormous burden on school finances.

IOL noted a similar one-day closure took place at Humansdorp Senior Secondary School last month over a comparable issue.

What this means for parents and learners

The SGB acknowledged the impact a closure would have on learners and families but said it could not continue to operate when the department failed to provide the required human and financial resources.

At the time of reporting, the department maintained that classes would continue as scheduled and that the formal power to close a public school rests with the head of department.