FEDSAS goes to High Court about money owed to Free State schools 

28 March 2018

After all requests for the payment of annual transfer money to schools fell on deaf ears, the High Court will be asked to force the Free State Education Department to do its job.

The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) approached both the South African Human Righs Commission and the Public Protector in January this year to investigate the Free State Education Department’s repeated failure to make the annual payments to public schools. In addition, FEDSAS has instructed its lawyer to write a letter of demand to the Free State Education Department to demand that payments be made within two weeks.

“It is two months later and the Department has still not paid last year’s money. The Department is also delaying the appointment of a number of principals and level 1 teachers,” says Dr Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS. Deacon says FEDSAS, together with the South African Teachers’ Union (SAOU), have approached the High Court in order to get the money and and to get staff members appointed.

“The second term starts soon. Schools have already started the new school year without money for expenses such as water, electricity and stationary. Governing bodies are doing their best but in many cases debt is piling up because schools are not able to pay their accounts.”

Provincial education departments are responsible to pay over this money from the National Treasurer twice a year. “This money does not belong to the provincial education department – the Department is simply responsible for paying it over to schools. The first transfer of 2018 is supposed to be made in May this year, but 2017’s money has not been paid yet. What did the Free State Education Department do with this money?” asks Deacon.

Regarding a number of appointments at schools, governing bodies completed the recommendation processes in time and according to procedure. “The appointments were supposed to be made in time for the new school year. However, the first term is over and many schools still have to struggle with a lack of teachers and in some cases no school principal.”

Deacon says it is this type of mismanagement that threatens education in South Africa. “A teacher in every classroom, stationary, ablutions – these are the types of challenges schools are faced with on a daily basis. These challenges are not only a threat to quality education but are a direct violation of children’s basic right to education.”

Issued by Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO, FEDSAS, 28 March 2018