KwaZulu-Natal, 29 October 2024 – The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is calling for urgent action regarding the persistent failure of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Basic Education to pay Early Childhood Development (ECD) stipends, which has left at least 130 ECD centres in dire straits since August last year. Despite numerous engagements with the Department, supported by the Friends of South Africa ECD Forum (FOSA) and the KZN ECD Alliance, many ECD centres remain unpaid, placing significant burdens on centres, practitioners, and the vulnerable children they serve.
The LRC sent a letter of demand to the Department on 29 October, stipulating a deadline of 15 November for the Department to provide a clear and concrete plan to address the backlog of unpaid stipends, with a further deadline of 29 November for all payments to be made. Failure to do so will result in the LRC proceeding with legal action in the High Court on behalf of the ECD forums and centres.
Since the transfer of the ECD function from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education, the National Treasury has allocated funds to support ECD centres through provincial departments. However, inconsistent payments have put many centres at risk of closure, exacerbating challenges in already low-income communities.
The Real-World Impact
ECD centres rely heavily on the consistent payment of stipends in order to provide proper access to vital ECD services. In an effort to minimise the consequences of the disrupted services on children, ECD centre principals have had to incur personal debts to take out loans to run their centres (i.e. pay staff and buy food and pay utilities); they have received threats of violence and intimidation from money-lenders when they fail to repay these loans timeously; they have been evicted from their personal residence for not paying rent; and they have depleted personal savings needed to support their own families. The culmination of these burdens has forced them to do the following:
- Close or consider closing their centres due to the hassle of constant financial constraints and the strain on their personal lives — some of which are in areas where children already have limited access to ECD services;
- They have had to increase fees, or demand payment of fees when in the past they were lenient, which makes parents remove their children from the centre altogether;
- They have asked parents to send lunchboxes when there is no money to buy groceries, which also makes parents remove their children because the provision of free meals is what motivates parents who cannot afford adequate nutrition at home to send their children to a centre that can provide this
- They no longer pay staff regularly, creating despondency and a lack of enthusiasm, when in the past they have found creative and affordable methods of teaching and engaging with children;
- In terms of the delivery of adequate nutrition, financial constraints have forced centres to deviate from the prescribed nutritious menus in favour of more affordable options, including shopping at local spaza shops.
- Young children are entitled to holistic development, encompassing responsive caregiving, safety and security, early learning, adequate nutrition, and cultural participation. The ongoing stipend crisis threatens these rights and places the burden on centres and families already struggling to make ends meet.
The Response from the KZN Department of Basic Education
KwaZulu-Natal, 15 November 2024 We can confirm that there have been three separate payment runs since 29 October when the letter of demand was sent. The LRC has not, however, received a formal response from the KZN Department of Education regarding the reasons for the delayed payments.
Real Reform’s Call to Action
The LRC sits on the steering committee of the Real Reform Campaign for ECD. While legal action, is necessary in some instances, we believe it should be accompanied by a collective effort to achieve long-term solutions. Real Reform for ECD encourages all ECD practitioners, parents, and concerned citizens to join in raising awareness and demanding accountability through the upcoming sit-in planned outside the national Department of Basic Education offices on 20 November 2024.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Puleng Mosia
063 011 4333
puleng@lrc.org.za