1. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) approved and issued a Procedural Policy Framework – Universal Access to Quality Grade R to all institutions offering Grade R. The Framework is aligned to the national policy on Grade R.

2. Among other things, the Framework provides information about the employment of Grade R practitioners and what legal documents a practitioner must receive and store safely.

3. The WCED also issued Circular 0039/2012 in which schools were informed of changes in the use of Grade R subsidies. Of particular relevance in this circular, was the fact that it restated that 80% of the subsidy must be paid to Grade R practitioners in line with the directions of the Framework.

4. The WCED has been inundated with calls from practitioners especially, who complain of not receiving the applicable and prescribed salary. In some instances, principals of institutions with Grade R pay at the requisite level and later require a practitioner or practitioners to refund them a portion of the salary every month. There are instances where the practitioners resort to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

5. Institution heads should note that the WCED is audited in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 1999 (Act 1 of 1999), as amended. One of the objectives of such audits is to check whether subsidies are used for their intended purpose.

6. It is against this background that the WCED requests all school governing bodies (SGBs) to pay Grade R practitioners electronically with immediate effect. The following procedure must be followed:
6.1 Each institution must require every practitioner in its employ to provide the institution with their banking details;
6.2 The SGB of the institution or its principal, duly delegated by the SGB, must make the necessary arrangements with a recognised financial institution, preferably one where the institution banks; and
6.3 The principal must supply the IMG Manager: ECD with a copy of the electronic payment agreement with the preferred financial institution by no later than 24 October 2014. than 15 October 2014.

7. Where there is a change of practitioner the same process, as outlined above, must be followed. In this instance, the principal must provide the copy described in 6.3 above within 14 days of such an arrangement having been concluded with the financial institution.

8. Paragraph 5 of Circular 39/2014, dated 25 March 2014, provides clear guidelines in respect of the payment of Grade R practitioners’ salaries. SGBs and principals are urged to familiarise themselves with the contents of this circular.

9. District based IMG Managers: ECD and School Corporate Officers (SCOs) will monitor compliance during the normal course of their duties. Head Office based officials may also conduct such visits during their Monitoring and Evaluation visits to districts.

10. SGBs and principals must take note that the electronic payment of practitioner salaries will become a compliance requirement for the future transfer of subsidies to institutions.

11. Principals of all ordinary public schools with Grade R classes are further reminded of their obligations in terms of Section 16A (2) (h) to (k) of the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996), as amended, which states that the principal must –

  1. assist the governing body with the management of the school’s funds, which assistance must include— the provision of information relating to any conditions imposed or directions issued by the Minister, the Member of the Executive Council or the Head of Department in respect of all financial matters of the school contemplated in Chapter 4; and the giving of advice to the governing body on the financial implications of decisions relating to the financial matters of the school;
  2. take all reasonable steps to prevent any financial maladministration or mismanagement by any staff member or by the governing body of the school;
  3. be a member of a finance committee or delegation of the governing body in order to manage any matter that has financial implications for the school; and
  4. report any maladministration or mismanagement of financial matters to the governing body of the school and to the Head of Department.
12. Please convey the content of this circular to SGB members and all Grade R practitioners.


SIGNED: PA VINJEVOLD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2014:10:14

Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 1999 (Act 1 of 1999)  (size: 487 KB)
South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996)  (size: 255 KB)