Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube who tabled her department’s budget vote for the 2024/25 financial year in the National Assembly in Cape Town, has five-point plan to improve the basic education system.
The budget allocation of R32.3 billion for her department represents an increase of 7.4% from the previous financial year.
Lamenting iniquities within the department, Gwarube revealed her five keypoint plan to enhance the education system. “We must recommit to building a solid foundation for a quality and efficient basic education system, from ECD, through the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phases, to the Further Education and Training (FET) Band,” she said on Monday.
Gwarube said that the department was prioritising access to quality early childhood development, recognising that the formative years were critical to laying a strong foundation for learners’ education journey.
With 80% of South African learners challenged with literacy and numeracy skills - they cannot read for understanding - the department is determined to improve literacy and mathematical skills.
Gwarube underlined the importance of an inclusive and accommodative education system, where learners in vulnerable communities and those with special needs have access to quality education as per the constitution.
Amid a growing concern for learners’ safety on school premises, due to violence and pit latrines among other challenges, the Minister committed the department to ensuring the safety of learners and educators.
“This includes reducing overcrowding in classrooms, improving access to electricity, water and adequate sanitation facilities, and removing inappropriate structures, such as pit latrine toilets. We cannot have learners in danger of drowning in pit toilets or learning in inappropriate structures, 30 years into our democracy,” said Gwarube.
Highlighting the significance of teachers’ skills development to adapt to new education systems, Gwarube said: “We will intensify efforts to improve access to and the quality of training and professional development opportunities available to our school management teams and teachers.
“Teachers are the backbone of our schooling system. Given the many and varied challenges that our teachers and principals are required to respond to in their daily work, we need to ensure that they are supported to achieve the quality learning outcomes we so desperately need.”
The budget included the following allocations for sub-departments:
The budget Education Programme cluster:
*Administration received R 607.5 million, which is a 3.0% increase.
*Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring was allocated R4.089 billion
*Teacher Education, Human Resource and Institutional Development got R1.439 billion.
*Planning Information and Assessment received R15.995 billion.
*Education Enrichment Services was allocated R10.129 billion.
The Conditional Grants cluster was boosted with R26.041 billion, showing a 10.4% increase from the previous financial year.
*The Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) grant was allocated R443.8 million.
*Infrastructure delivery which is funded through Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) received R13.7 billion.
*Accelerated School Infrastructure Development Initiative, also known as the School Infrastructure Backlog Grant, was allocated R1.641 billion. This is inclusive of the allocation for Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative.
Additionally, Gwarube said: “HIV and AIDS, whose purpose is to support South Africa’s HIV and TB prevention strategy, has been allocated R249.7 million, an increase of 16.8% from last year’s allocation.”
*The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) received R9.798 billion
*Learners with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities Grant were allocated R278.9 million.
Moreover, the Earmarked allocations and transfer payments cluster was pumped up with R3.178 billion.
*Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme received R1.266 billion.
*Umalusi subsidy is R166.9 million.
*The National Senior Certificate Learner Retention Programme, also referred to as the Second Chance Programme, was allocated R38.6 million.
*Workbooks, including braille workbooks for visually impaired learners was given R1.214 billion.
*The South African Council of Educators (SACE) was allocated R16.4 million.
*Early Childhood Development was boosted with a R150 million for the resource package.
*Early Childhood Development Nutrition pilot has been allocated R197 million for the resource package.
The Star