File image: Children arrive at school for the first day of the school term. Teacher unions in KZN have said schools are not properly prepared for the start of the new school year due to the delayed delivery of Learning and Teaching Support Materials. Teacher unions are warning of chaos when schools reopen next week, pointing out that schools are not ready and that not all the Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) are in place to ensure a smooth start to the 2026 academic year.
The unions in KwaZulu-Natal stated that the schools have not received all their LTSM which were supposed to be delivered by last year. The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal revealed this week that it is working to ensure that some of the LTSM supplies are available to schools this week. The education department is facingfinancial challenges, which have prompted an interventionby the provincial Treasury.
This intervention dictates that the Treasury must approve the spending by the department of amounts above a certain threshold. Some observers have argued that the department has been hamstrung by this arrangement, leading to delays in the procurement of the LTSM on time. There were complaints that a key supplier had not been paid and could miss the window to produce and deliver the LTSM supplies on time.
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However, others have stated that the Treasury arrangement is keeping the department afloat, as it cannot spend money it does not have. In a statement on Monday, the department said that following a marathon MEC Management Meeting (MMM), it has resumed the immediate delivery of the remaining LTSM to schools. This decisive intervention, it said, is aimed at ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted start to the 2026 academic year, when schools reopen on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
In that statement, KZN MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, said, “As a department, we remain committed to ensuring stability, operational readiness, and effective service delivery across all public schools. We reassure parents, learners, educators, teacher unions, and stakeholders of a well-coordinated and successful start to the 2026 school year.” However, teacher unions have remained sceptical, stating that the delivery is far from complete and unlikely to be finished when the schools reopen. Thirona Moodley, CEO of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), said the department is ill-prepared for the upcoming year.
“Unfortunately, schools will not be able to start work next week, as they have not received their LTSM allocation and have been unable to procure stationery. The last payment received was in June 2025. Principals are extremely concerned, as they have no means to manage the schools in the new year.
Naptosa is concerned that the school year will be off to a bumpy start. Special schools are not sure whether they are in a position to open their doors to learners with outstanding payments for 2025.” Nomarashiya Caluza, the provincial secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, said not all the schools have received their supplies. “Many schools are already panicking since they did not receive all the necessary materials, including the LTSM. The workforce is ready, but the environment has not been properly prepared; hence the panic about what’s going to happen come the 14th of January.” A union official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the union has been receiving calls from frustrated and worried school principals.
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