‘We are barely surviving’: the financial crisis impacting KZN’s special needs schools

RISING COSTS

- NADIA KHAN

PARENTS outside Damorosa Secondary - Prevocational School in Chatsworth, which has been temporarily closed. | TikTok

SPECIAL needs schools across KwaZulu-Natal are battling to keep their doors open as delayed subsidy payments and inadequate funding from the Department of Education push them to breaking point.

With some schools already forced to close temporarily and others operating on a deficit, teachers and school governing bodies (SGB) are making an urgent plea for intervention to save the education of hundreds of vulnerable children.

Earlier this month, two schools in Chatsworth shut their doors due to delayed subsidy payments by the Department of Education in KZN.

While the Education Department confirmed the payments were made last Thursday, the schools have yet to reopen.

Nompilo Nsimbi, the SGB chairperson of Damorosa Secondary — Prevocational School in Chatsworth, said they would not be able to reopen until they received the full subsidy payment for the year.

She said they only received two of four tranches which are made throughout the year.

“The last payment we received was in July. We were supposed to get the first payment in March, but didn’t receive it. When we received the recent payment, it barely covered our bills. We are still in arrears.”

Nsimbi said due to low school fees payment, they depended on the subsidy from the Education Department.

“We have a shortage of teachers. The department did not give us any teaching posts despite making promises.

“We had to employ SGB-paid teachers, which impacts us greatly when it comes to doing other things for the school. We also have a low school fees payment as many of the children come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many of the children live with their grandmothers or just one parent.