The Free State department of education has come under increasing scrutiny following a series of disruptions that have negatively impacted learning and teaching time across the province. In early March, Matla Primary School and St Benedict Primary School were temporarily closed by labour inspectors due to serious health and safety violations.
The closures resulted in learners missing nearly two weeks of academic activities, raising concerns among parents and the broader community about the state of school infrastructure and compliance. The department is now facing further backlash after nearly 10,000 learners were unable to attend school at the start of the second term due to delays in payments to scholar transport operators. The disruption left many learners stranded, particularly those in rural and outlying areas who rely on transport services to access education.
Provincial education spokesperson Howard Ndaba acknowledged the issue, confirming some operators have not been paid for up to two months. “We owe some operators, not all of them. The main reason has been financial constraints within the department.” He assured parents steps have been taken to resolve the matter. He said the department has engaged with the treasury to facilitate the release of funds, with payments expected to be processed by the end of the week.
He highlighted ongoing discussions with transport operators to address not only the current payment delays but also broader challenges affecting the sector. Operators have raised concerns about increasing operational costs, particularly fuel prices, which have placed additional strain on their services. “A sustainable solution we are exploring is the implementation of long-term agreements with operators to prevent similar disruptions in the future,” Ndaba said.
To address lost teaching time, the department has committed to working closely with affected schools to implement catch-up plans. These measures aim to ensure that learners can recover the academic time lost due to both the school closures and transport disruptions.
Clement Matroos
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