TEACHERS' unions are spitting fire over the Department of Education’s plan to close more than 200 schools in KZN.
The unions are accusing the department of operating like a desert where they take decisions without consulting all the relevant stakeholders.
They claimed that they were shocked to learn about the planned closure of school through the media. They also revealed that ever since the new MEC and the Head of Department (HOD) resumed their duties, they never had any meeting with them.
The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) has since advised all its members to not attend any meeting called by the department regarding the closure of schools since they know nothing about it.
Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said there was never a meeting called them to discuss this matter with them.
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“We were shocked to learn about this through the media. We only knew about this when we were flooded by lots of media inquiries questioning our stance on the matter. Therefore, we can’t advise our members to be part of something we have no knowledge of,” said Caluza.
National Teachers’ Union (Natu) president, Sibusiso Malinga, said the biggest problem they have is the MEC who cares about attending events and forgetting her core functions.
“This is a very crucial and sensitive matter. It’s true that we learnt about this in the media. We were never consulted. Education is not something for the department only, but it’s a societal matter where different stakeholders are involved and should be consulted before decisions are taken,” Malinga said.
He said this is proof that the department is collapsing, and it needs an urgent intervention.
“We are calling on the Minister of Basic Education to put this department under administration before it’s too late. It's a shame that since the MEC’s term of office started, she has never called a meeting with the unions to discuss how to work together,” he said.
KZN education spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said SADTU and NATU are part of the signatories to the transformation of the schooling system in the province.
