KwaZulu-Natal Premier Honourable Thamsanqa Ntuli, together with the Minister of Basic Education Honourable Siviwe Gwarube, convened an all-of-government meeting today to address the financial difficulties confronting the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (DoE).

Addressing Financial Pressures
The meeting brought together senior government leaders to deliberate on the serious financial pressures facing the Department. KwaZulu-Natal is experiencing deep financial strain as a result of years of austerity, which has impacted service delivery across sectors. Education, however, remains the cornerstone of development — and is too important to fail.

The Scale of the Challenge
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is one of the largest in the country, employing tens of thousands of teachers and serving millions of learners. Premier Ntuli stressed that the DoE is too big to fail, and that ensuring stability in the sector is not optional but essential to the province’s future.

No New Allocations – A Need for Innovation
The Premier made it clear that no new money has been allocated to address the Department’s financial difficulties. The province will therefore be required to find solutions from its current budget envelope, reprioritising resources while protecting frontline services.

Towards a Financial Recovery Plan
Deliberations at the meeting focused on the development of a Financial Recovery Plan that balances fiscal realities with the imperative of safeguarding education. The plan will include:
• An employee audit to ensure resources are allocated efficiently.
• A learner audit to strengthen planning and align resource distribution with actual needs.

Protecting Teaching and Learning
Premier Ntuli reaffirmed that all interventions must be guided by a single overriding principle: protecting teaching and learning. He stressed that classrooms, teachers, and learners must remain at the centre of every decision taken in the recovery process.

A Unified Government Response
By convening this all-of-government meeting, Premier Ntuli demonstrated the urgency of addressing the crisis through a coordinated provincial and national response. He reiterated that while the challenges are significant, they also present an opportunity to build a more efficient, accountable, and sustainable education system.

The Premier concluded by reaffirming the Provincial Government of Unity’s commitment to ensuring that no learner is left behind, even in the face of difficult financial circumstances.