Schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province are still facing a resource crisis that is impacting meals & textbooks ahead of the new school year.
Teachers’ unions continue to warn that many schools are not ready to reopen and that some might not be in a position to provide meals or textbooks on the first day of school.
As reported by IOL, a survey was conducted on the state of readiness of schools. The results reflected serious challenges that could affect schools reopening in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, January 14.
Naptosa, a teachers’ union, stated that it had “conducted a survey and engaged with 150 schools on the state of their readiness, while the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) said it had engaged with principals from 247 schools”.
The survey conducted by these two unions found that while 60.1% of participating schools in the Umlazi area reported being ready, high levels of unreadiness were identified in the Umkhanyakude (69.6%) and iLembe (68.6%) districts.
In these two districts, more than two-thirds of schools indicated unreadiness. This unreadiness will have a significant impact on the learners’ performance on Wednesday, from school meals to stationery.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union has warned that more than half of schools in KwaZulu-Natal are not ready to reopen this week.https://t.co/Qvsi5DPBye
— TheSouthAfrican.com (@TheSAnews) January 12, 2026
Naptosa CEO in the KwaZulu-Natal province, Thirona Moodley, said that they are concerned regarding the state of readiness of schools for the commencement of the 2026 academic year.
“Of particular concern is the situation of our most vulnerable special schools, many of which have indicated that they may not be in a position to open on Wednesday,” she said.
This type of serious unreadiness will have major implications for learners’ well-being, attendance, and readiness to learn.
Nomarashiya Caluza, SADTU leader in KwaZulu-Natal, stated that “the union has been inundated with panic calls from some school principals who are worried about the poor state of readiness for schools reopening.”
She further added that even in 2025, schools encountered the same situation. The union intervened by engaging the employer, which made a commitment to service providers – one which is said to have never been met to date.
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Feature Image: Gettys
