4.1 Teachers on prolonged sick leave: The recent reports indicate that there were 144 teachers on prolonged sick leave. The cost implications of these teachers who were on prolonged sick leave were approximately R34, 437,000. One teacher was found to have been on sick leave for five (5) years and the cost thereof was over R2 million. The cost of the salaries for temporary teachers who replaced these teachers plus the already stated cost of salaries of the sick teachers would double the figure.