KZN Premier says he had no clue schools were having financial difficulties

DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli says he had no clue that schools in the province were unable to operate daily due to financial difficulties, and he has committed to turning the situation around.

Several schools in KZN have revealed that they can't function due to a lack of money.

Teacher unions NATU (National Teachers’ Union) and SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers Union) have approached Ntuli’s office about the issue.

They say the allocations are not meeting the norms and standards for school funding.

Ntuli says this will be resolved over the next few days.

The norms and standards for school funding provide a framework for how government funds should be allocated to public schools.

But with schools across the province pointing out they have not received what is due to them, teaching and learning have been disrupted.

Teacher unions and pupils at some schools have resorted to pickets.

But after meeting the union, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli admitted this was news to him.

“I wasn’t aware of the situation, that it was such bad.”

The premier says he will address the situation.

“As from next week we will be beginning to pay schools, in two weeks' time no school must be owed and going forward, I said for the norms and standards, the government must not owe schools.”

Ntuli has committed R900 million to be allocated to schools across KZN.

He says the money will be sourced from all other departments in the province.