R67m paid back to schools so far

‘ Individual schools have accumulated between R200 000

and R5-million in debt over this period

THE Eastern Cape Department of Education has paid back the bulk of an R82-million claim by schools who had to foot the bill for teachers over three years.

In South Africa’s first opt-in class action lawsuit, fronted by Linkside High School in Port Elizabeth, the department was ordered to reimburse schools in December. About R67-million has already been paid back, with a few outstanding claims awaiting verification.

Auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers was appointed by the department to receive and verify the schools’ claims.

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC), which acted on behalf of all the schools in the class action suit, said the schools were relieved to get the money.

“Many schools have been placed in a perilous financial condition due to the department’s ongoing failure to appoint educators to vacant substantive posts and pay them,” the centre said.

“Individual schools have accumulated between R200 000 and R5-million in debt over this period. This has resulted in schools increasing their fees, but this has often resulted in a higher rate of parents defaulting.”

The department also appointed 144 teachers from those named in the court order for possible permanent appointment if they were suitably qualified.

There was an initial delay in paying these teachers, but the LRC said most had been paid, with all set to be on the department’s payroll next month.

However, the LRC said a vital part of the court order was still unfulfilled – the department had failed to publish bulletins of vacant posts, the first of which was meant to have been in April.

“The department’s failure to comply with this critical element of the order leaves the schools with no choice but to return to court for urgent relief.”

Department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima was unavailable for comment yesterday.