19 June 2006
The MEC for Education Angie Motshekga will tomorrow, Tuesday, 20 June 2006,
unpack how the department will utilise the R12.282 billion allocated to her
department.
Motshekga will address the Gauteng Legislature to explain how Gauteng
children will benefit from the R12 billion budgets, the single largest budget
allocated to a department in Gauteng.
The Education budget makes up 35.6% of the entire Gauteng provincial
government's budget of R33.824 billion.
The Education budget has increased by 13.5% as compared to last year's
allocation of R10.360 billion. The department has more than 1.7 million
learners and more than 58 000 educators.
The budget speech serves as a policy guide to education officials as well as
stakeholders within the education sector. With the demand mounting on the state
of our education, especially matters related to the introduction of the new
curriculum, support to educators, use of indigenous languages within the
education system and the need to prioritise Early Childhood Development and
Adult Basic Education, the budget is expected to balance all these key
areas.
In addition to the core mandate of the department, in recent days, crime has
shifted to soft targets and this has seen education institutions being
targeted. The recent report by the Human Rights Commission on the state of
education has also put pressure on education to respond to some of their
recommendations, therefore the budget will be expected to provide answers on
school security and Educator Support Programmes.
The MEC is also expected to outline the budget allocation that will see
Gauteng allowing certain schools not to charge school fees at all.
Details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 20 June 2006
Time: 10h00
Venue: Gauteng Provincial Legislature, cnr President and Loveday Street,
Johannesburg
Enquiries:
Panyaza Lesufi
Cell: 083 256 7933
Tel: (011) 355 0909
Issued by: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
19 June 2006
