Unions say chronic underfunding, delayed payments are sabotaging learning after EC court win

Teachers’ unions have warned that chronic underfunding and delayed payments to public schools are undermining teaching and learning, following a recent Eastern Cape High Court ruling that found part of the province’s school funding cuts unlawful.

High court rules funding cuts unlawful

The case, brought in support of the Makhanda Circle of Unity and the Legal Resources Centre, challenged the provincial education department’s decision to withhold a portion of school allocations. Judge Thembekile Malusi said the department’s May 2023 decision “to withhold 33.75% of each school’s funding allocation for 2023-24, is unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid.”

Unions describe practical impacts on schools

The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) said the underfunding and delays in releasing funds are “sabotaging teaching and learning.” Naptosa’s executive director Basil Manuel said the provincial department at times decided how much to pay per child and that those decisions interrupted classroom instruction.

“A school will indicate the intention of employing a teacher, but you find that the department delays responding and does so at the last-minute,” Manuel said.

Manuel described how reduced per‑learner allocations hurt schools’ ability to cover basic services. He gave an example saying the Free State could say it “can’t afford to pay the R1 600 per child per year and we will pay R500. And from that money you’ve got as a school, you are expected to pay for the services such as water, electricity, telephone and other related things. The money is not enough to cover all this.”

Teachers say learning materials and services suffer

South African Democratic Teachers Union spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said teachers are affected when learning and teaching materials are inadequate. “Underfunding and late funding affect the school’s ability to pay service providers,” she said.

Department response

The department of basic education did not respond to questions by the time of publication.