Eastern Cape Proncial Treasury MEC Phumulo Masualle presented his R56.2 billion budget yesterday at the chamber of the provincial legislature with R26.2 billion allocated to Eastern Cape Department of Education to improve the province's schools.
Honourable Speaker, we all agree that for the Eastern Cape to prosper and compete successfully, the most important investment in our economy and in our future will be in the education of our children and young people in general.
There has been some confusion, even deception, on what the case is with respect to the national intervention of S100 (1) (b). We must be emphatic that as a province, we have always welcomed and supported the intervention in the challenges afflicting the department of Education.
Given that education as a proportion of the entire provincial budget is well over 45%, any minor deviations or even significant departures from this base, the impact there-of is transmitted immediately and with consequences across the entire provincial budget.
It was thus imperative that both the national and provincial spheres of government, find agreement on how best to ensure the success of the intervention. Essentially each of the parties has a role to play. It is in this context that the arrangement of the 5 a-side must be understood.
Education is still faced with systemic challenges at administrative level that require commitment from all stakeholders to resolve. The educational infrastructure to support quality learning and teaching remains a far cry from what is desirable
Honourable members, while the 2012 post declaration sought to ensure that there is a qualified educator in front of every learner, realising this remains a challenge. It is important that all the stakeholders in this sector cooperate with each other in finding solutions to these vexing questions in the interest of our learners and indeed our future.
Honorable Speaker, the primary focus of this budget in education is investment in excellence in the classrooms and improving standards for all. We intend supporting strong leadership in schools by offering greater autonomy and flexibility for schools that are succeeding and strengthening school governance. This we will do in the context of the intervention as championed by the Minister of Basic Education.
Allocations:
The Department of Education is allocated R26.2 billion in 2012/13 totaling R83.1 billion over the Medioum Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to continue with the roll out of:
- the school nutrition programme which is benefitting R1.6 million children in quintiles 1, 2 and 3
- the funding of schools towards set norms & standards
- the funding of "no fee" schools which is currently at 80%, far above the national target of 60%
- the learner teacher support material, with a proviso that textbooks and support materials must reach a child in classroom, on time and economically
- implementation of the 2012 post provisioning which allocates 35% of the educators of funded posts in remote and rural areas
- R1 billion for building and renovating schools for the year 2012/13.
