As the academic year draws to a close, KZN's schools enter a critical period. For learners, it's a time of final results anticipation; for educators, it’s a moment of exhaustion and reflection on a year often defined by resource gaps and capacity challenges, such as the educator shortage previously highlighted at Amaoti 3 Secondary.

The closing of the school year offers a clear perspective: our education system's challenges are year-round, and the solutions require sustained commitment from the KZN business community, especially in how we support our educators.

The reality is that many peri-urban schools operate with persistent under-resourcing, making the role of the educator overwhelmingly demanding. When the last bell rings in December, the gaps in teaching capacity, subject specialisation, and professional support do not simply vanish.

At Cox Yeats, we believe moments of year-end reflection should spur greater action in the New Year. We cannot solve KZN's education challenges unless we reinforce the backbone of the system: the educators and principals.

One-off donations are appreciated, but long-term partnerships that target educator empowerment are transformative. These initiatives must focus on strengthening the capacity of educators through consistent, tailored support:

• Principal and Educator Leadership Models: These are essential for strengthening the school's leadership over the long term, creating stability and high morale.
• Sponsorship of Subject Specialists: Filling critical gaps, like the maths educator crisis, through sustained funding for specialist educators or "Educator Champions."

• Professional Development: Providing ongoing coaching and resources, particularly in vital areas like digital literacy and reading for meaning, as we do through our enduring partnership with The Domino Foundation.

A Call for Greater Sustained Commitment

Our partnership with The Domino Foundation demonstrates that by focusing on core skills and supporting the people who teach them, businesses can achieve measurable, lasting impact. The Literacy and Life Skills programmes provide essential reading comprehension and digital skills, the keys to success in the modern workplace, delivered by dedicated educators.

As the year-end provides a chance to shape the next year's strategy, we invite the KZN business community to explore how moving toward multi-year commitments can amplify the positive effects of their investments.

Education is a marathon, not a sprint. Investing in the people who lead and teach in our schools is the most powerful investment we can make in KZN’s future workforce and society. Let us use this year-end moment to commit to deeper, long-term support for our educators in the year ahead.