Schooling challenges were laid bare during a recent gathering of about 850 principals in Limpopo.
In one of the more extreme realities of school life, principals are getting into personal debt to keep their schools running amid delays in provincial funding releases.
Reporting from the South African Principals’ Association (SAPA) annual conference in Polokwane, EdDesk journalist Mandisa Makgakga described how desperate principals resort to using personal credit cards for operational payments — such as utilities, exams, learning materials, and stationery – while others beg suppliers for credit.
“When there is no stationery, and there is no money, a principal is forced to … make a plan,” said SAPA president Mashudu Ramulumo.
Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools CEO, Dr Jaco Deacon, aptly noted: “These are statutory payments, not pocket money”.
The stop-gap measures needed to keep the lights on and cover day-to-day costs highlight a yawning disconnect between policy and implementation.
The cash-flow burden also adds another layer to mounting pressures on educators, already at risk of burnout.
A survey of 305 principals – mostly from primary schools – revealed that almost 60% of school heads are considering quitting amid administrative burnout.
Teacher burnout is equally alarming. According to the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship, it is especially prevalent in poorer schools; a 2024 study showed that 49% of teachers wish to leave the profession within 10 years, with 70% citing administrative work as their primary stressor.
At the conference, Ramulumo appealed for timeous payments and urgent systemic reform to cut red tape, freeing principals to focus on leading their schools.
National and provincial departments should heed the advice of independent educator Professor Jonathan Jansen. Writing in Worth the Fight: Fixing Failure in South African Schools, he stresses that government’s core obligation was to deliver resources for learning and teaching. This would start with timely budget allocations. But then, he advises, the government should “get out of the way” so educators can focus on teaching without being dragged down by administrative red tape – and financial stress.
Read Makgakga’s full coverage from the SAPA conference, alongside another critical challenge in our schooling system: the R140 billion infrastructure backlog. Our data-savvy partner, The Outlier, crunches the numbers to show how, despite lofty promises and celebratory announcements, pit toilets have still not been eradicated.
