Landmark education ruling in Grahamstown High Court.

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The Eastern Cape education department is at risk of having some of its assets attached if the non-payment of teachers continues.

The High Court in Grahamstown invoked the State Liability Act yesterday, which allows for attaching state property if government doesn not pay its bills.

This was due to the salaries of temporary teachers, now employed permanently, not being paid.

The court authorised 17 short-staffed schools to employ teachers without reference to the department if the department failed to act within 15 days.

According to court papers, there are 8-thousand 698 vacant teaching posts in the province.

The case was brought by the Legal Resources Centre - acting on behalf of the Centre for Child Law.