KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education, Mbali Frazer, says they have received a letter from the Treasury confirming that the department will soon receive an adjusted budget allocation. The department has come under fire from teachers’ unions demanding that schools be paid their full budget allocation.
This week, Grade 11 examinations in several public schools across the province were suspended by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU). Fraser now says the department has already started processing transfers to schools that will be released from 15 November.
“Following the minister of finance’s budget adjustment speech last week, we have received a provisional confirmation letter from the treasury informing us that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education will soon receive an adjusted budget allocation. The allocation they are giving us will partially cover the hole left by the wage bill. Furthermore, I’m pleased to share that the department is actively processing transfers to schools, scheduled for the release on the 15th of November 2023.”
Fraser has also announced that eligible employees will receive their wage increase by 15 December.
“The payment of 1.5% pay progression is also in progress, this will be back paid to the 1st of July 2023, and all eligible employees should receive their payment on the 15th of December 2023. Moreover, our commitment to Grade R practitioners remains intact, with the additional funding allocated to KZN by the minister of finance, the department can now implement stipend adjustments for All Grade R practitioners, and these practitioners will be back paid with airfare from the 1st of April 2023 in line with the general salary increase of public servants.”
Meanwhile, SADTU has called off its picket line which has led to the suspension of exams in a number of public primary and secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Union says schools could not initially administer these exams because they have not received their budget allocations from the provincial Education. The about-turn follows a commitment from the department confirming that allocations would begin to be paid from next week.
Source: eNCA
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