SADTU TO MARCH AGAINST AUSTERITY MEASURES IN EDUCATION
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union will lead a national march to the office of the National Treasury, Department Basic Education and Department Higher Education and Training in Pretoria on 23 April 2025.
This mass action is in protest against the austerity measures that are undermining public service delivery – particularly in education – and threatening the constitutional right to quality education, especially for children from poor and working-class backgrounds.
The march will take place in line with the theme of Education International, the global federation of education unions: Go Public! Fund Education. The march aims to draw attention to the devastating affects austerity is having on our education system, teachers, leaners and communities.
Budgets cuts are crippling our schools. Educators are increasingly forced to teach in overcrowded classrooms as vacant posts remain unfilled. In the Western Cape alone, 2 407 posts have been frozen, while other provinces have failed to expand their post establishments despite the rising number of learners. In many instances, schools do not receive their funding for norms and standards timeously, forcing principals to cover basic operational costs from their own pockets
Educators and learners are also facing growing safety concerns, with violence in schools on the rise. Yet little is being done to strengthen security or to provide adequate psychosocial support. The lack of investment in teacher wellbeing continues to strain an already overstretched workforce.
A recent SADTU survey conducted among members revealed the following impacts of budget cuts on education.
- Increased learner-to-teacher ratios
- Lack of school infrastructure such as halls, libraries, and laboratories
- Shortage of classrooms and toilets
- General dilapidation of buildings
- Inadequate provision of teacher assistants
- Uneven and delayed disbursements of funds for norms and standards
- Delayed payment of QMS
- Lack of substitute teachers
- Modern slavery salaries for Grade R practitioners
- Delayed payments for scholar transport.
All these barriers to quality education are because of neoliberal policies which must be ended.
SADTU is calling on all education stakeholders – parents, community members, civil society organisations and progressive forces to join this critical march. Let us stand united against austerity. Let us defend the right to quality, well-funded public education for all.
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat