Department of Education Budget Speech, Vote 3 delivered by Limpopo MEC for Education, Mavhungu Lerule Ramakhanya on 30 March 2023 at the Limpopo Provincial Legislature, Lebowakgomo.
Honourable Speaker
Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier
Honourable colleagues in the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee and Members
Chair of Chairs
Executive Mayors and Mayors
Leadership of the African National Congress
Leaders of the Opposition Parties
Veterans of the Struggle
Royal Leaders
Religious Leaders
Stakeholders in Education (SGBs, Unions and Partners)
Director General
Heads of Departments
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Honorable Speaker, I am grateful and honoured to be standing before you in this August house today to give an account of the promises we made to the people of Limpopo when tabling the Departmental budget for the 2021/22 financial year. We exist to serve and our people deserve the feedback on the plans we committed to undertake. The time granted will also give us an opportunity to outline our plans for the coming financial year as tomorrow marks the end of the current financial year.
Honourable Speaker, we are starting our year on a high note and we take this time to thank the honourable Premier and all our stakeholders for your relentless support in ensuring that we change the narrative as far as education is concerned in our beautiful Province.
Honourable speaker, we applaud our Premier for your visionary and decisive intervention by hosting the Education Indaba on 10 March 2022 which resulted in stakeholders adopting the Learner Intervention Plan presented by our Department. The adopted intervention plan is solid and being implemented across the system. We acclaim the cooperation from our communities, commitment of our schools, the support from our stakeholders and partners, the sheer resilience of officials, educators and the 2022 cohort who toiled towards the goal of performance against all odds.
In his State of the Nation Address in January this year, his excellency, the President of the Republic, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa said: “We are, at our most essential, a nation defined by hope and resilience. It was hope that sustained our struggle for freedom, and it is hope that swells our sails as we steer our country out of turbulent waters to calmer seas. Even in these trying times, it is hope that sustains us and fuels our determination to overcome even the greatest of difficulties”.
Yes, we have many challenges but these are not insurmountable and we are working hard to overcome these challenges and adapt to the ever changing conditions. Premier, we are marching on and our march is purposeful and there should be no looking back. We want to state from the onset that education of high quality is vitally important for both individuals and the nation at large on an equal basis.
Our plans for Limpopo Education from the ECD, Primary and Secondary schools must talk to quality, sustainability and accessibility. Education has to be of high quality and available to all on an equal basis. It should be tailored in such a manner that maintains an upward trajectory. This is a mandate we cannot relegate to the background let alone wish it away by any stretch of imagination.
Inteventions
1. Accountability sessions
Honourable speaker, one of the key strategies that we are employing to ensure that there is an improvement of the learning outcomes, is the conducting of the Accountability Sessions by the Head of Department, Ms. Onica Dederen with the Principals of underperforming Schools. The sessions are as per the South African Schools Act and assist us to ascertain the interventions needed for different Schools. Underperforming Schools are a priority and mechanisms were developed for proper interventions. As we speak, we have reduced the number of underperforming schools from 636 in 2021 to 440 in 2022, a reduction of 196 underperforming Schools. We remain steadfast in dealing with the remaining number of schools that still perform below expectations.
Honourable members, let me indicate that in our endeavour to do better and to maintain the upward trajectory, the Head of Department has just concluded her Academic Reflection Sessions with all Principals of both performing and underperforming Secondary Schools to reflect in much details on the 2022 results and what should be done as a matter of urgency. The accountability sessions with underperforming schools will be continuing in earnest from April to May 2023. I have no doubt that the good work currently done by the HoD and team education will push us towards the desired outcomes. The 2022 Grade 12 Cohort has moved us from 66.7 to 72.1 percent.
2. Rapid Response
The Limpopo Department of Education implemented amongst others a Rapid Intervention plan focusing on Sekhukhune East, Sekhukhune South and Mopani East. The plan focused on all underperforming Circuits in the three Districts. As a result of this intervention, all the three Districts improved their performance by more than 5%. Two of them are now performing above 65%. The implementation of Limpopo Learner Attainment Strategy in the form of extra tuition during Autumn, Winter and Springs including residential camps for both progressed and top performing learners has contributed largely towards the reduction of underperforming Schools.
Honourable Speaker, we have planned to strengthen and internalize the Rapid intervention plan to all 32 Circuits in the 10 Districts that are still performing below 65%. The Department will continue providing extra tuition in the form of Autumn, Winter and Spring Classes including residential camps for different learners in Grade 12. In his Budget Vote, MEC for Provincial Treasury, honourable Charlie Sekoati announced that additional R70 million has been allocated to strengthen our intervention plans.
The allocation will indeed go a long way in making the much needed impact and difference.
3. Capacity Building of SMTs in Underperforming Schools
Hounarable Speaker, from the intervention plans, we can report that in January 2023 academic year, the Limpopo Department of Education, through both the SMS and District officials were able to monitor and support underperforming secondary schools during the reopening of schools. During the Second Term, April to June 2023, monitoring and support to underperforming schools shall continue.
4. Education Management and Governance Development
Honourable Speaker, In the fourth quarter of the year under review, District Managers for Governance (DMGs) and Assistant Directors for Governance of all the ten education Districts were trained on Financial Management in accordance with the South African Schools Act of 1996.
The Department will conduct intensive training on Curriculum Management and support for district multi-support functional teams to support all Principals of underperforming schools. The Department will conduct induction workshop for newly appointed SMTs on their roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, the Department will also conduct training for SGBs members on the Code of Conduct, compilation and auditing of School Financial Statements.
Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Honourable members, I need to emphasize that special attention is also given to foundation and intermediate phases, with the understanding that one cannot start building from the roof. It is imperative that the entry phase get the necessary attention and assistance so that they are well prepared by the time they get to the FET band. Performance should be achieved across the system.
1. Progress on Relocation of ECD Function
Honorable Speaker, in the previous budget vote, we mentioned that the ECD function was going to be transferred from Department of Social Development to the Department of Education. I’m pleased to share with the house that Indeed the function was successfully transferred with effect from April 2022. Currently, the Department is funding 2 109 ECD Centers from both equitable share (1279) and Conditional Grant (830).
The Department completed the renovations of 54 ECD Centers and also completed one Low Cost ECD Centre in Vhembe East District (Masisi Village). As we continue with the good story of merging the ECDs into a formal education system, our plans for the are very clear.
The following has been planned and budgeted for the 2023/24 financial year.
- Renovations of 31 ECD centers.
- Construction of one Low Cost ECD center in Mopani East.
- Funding of 2 109 ECD centers.
- Conduct advocacy workshops of all new ECD centres still to be registered;
- ECD centres will be capacitated on the importance of re-registration in terms of section 81(3) of the children’s act 38 of 2005
- A call for funding for the new ECD centres to be funded for the FY 2024/25 to 2025/26 will be advertised.
Foundation Phase
Honourable Speaker, we are determined to capacitate educators in the foundation phase and to resource centres for the benefit of learners. In the coming financial year, we have planned to continue with some of the programmes that I have just alluded to.
- Supply 200 schools with indoor and outdoor resources;
- Continue with reading, writing, mathematics and spelling competitions;
- Print developed homework booklets for learners to advance learning recovery loss.
Inclusive Education and Public Special Schools
Honourable Speaker, specials schools are very close to our hearts, and they command a special attention from the honourable Premier, Chupu Mathabatha. We will continue to give our special schools all the necessary support within the budget to ensure that inclusive education is not compromised.
In the year under review, we spent R20,7million acquiring assistive technology devices such as Braille Note Touch, C-pen readers and Hovercams just to name a few to aid our needy learners. An additional top-up of R2,4million was made to 09 schools for textbooks to ensure that they address curriculum needs. The safety of our learners from special schools is none negotiable and I am delighted to announce that we have procured 2 buses for 2 special schools to the tune of R5,3million. We will in this financial year;
- Procure 6 Buses for public special schools.
- Procure LTSM Assistive Devices to public special schools.
- Institutionalizing the implementation of the Screening, identification assessment and support (SIAS) policy to ensure that all learners are properly profiled across the curriculum from grade R-12;
- Mobilization of out of school learners with Barriers to learning;
- Conducting Capacity building session to educators and SMT’S on Curriculum Differentiation, Accommodations & Concessions;
- Training SMTs, Health Professionals, LSA’s, CES’s, Curriculum Advisors, Governance Officials, District Directors, SBST’S on Curriculum Differentiation, Accommodations and Concessions;
- Promoting and strengthening of Reading for Pleasure, Schools took part in reading activities by celebrating International and National significant days or month, World Book Day, Africa Day, Youth & Mandela month and International Literacy Day;
- Training lead teachers in Reading Club management;
- Training educators on establishment and support of Reading Clubs.
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
Honourable speaker, the objective of Extended Public Works Programme is the alleviation of poverty, address inequalities and temporarily reduce unemployment. In our previous budget vote, we have reported that the Department appointed 593 EPWP workers. Out of these, 133 were appointed as ECD Pre Grade R practitioners, 433 School based monitors, 18 as Administrative Assistants, 3 Data Captures and 6 toy Librarians.
In the financial year 2023/2024 a budget of R17 million is allocated, which is a slight decrease from R18 million in the previous financial year. This budget will be used to appoint 562 young people as follows:
- 420 School Based Monitors,
- 18 NSNP Administrative Assistants,
- 9 ECD Administrative Assistants,
- 6 ECD toy Librarians;
- 106 ECD Pre Grade R Practitioners, and
- 3 Data Captures.
National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP)
The Department is continuing with the school nutrition programme for learners from quintiles 1-3 schools in the Province. This programme is part of the Department’s access programme. Since the implementation of NSNP, learner attendance and performance has improved. This programme is allocated a budget of R 1,6 billion
Honourable Speaker, one of the objectives is to advance sustainable food production. This is done through the collaboration with the Department of Agriculture. Schools that participate in this programme are encouraged to enter best school awards competition which is hosted from District to National level. We are pleased to announce that Madjadji Primary School from Ga-Selwane, in Mopani East Education District has a best food garden which is able to feed learners and sell its products to the inhabitants. The school entered the Best School Awards competition for 2022/23 financial year and won at both provincial and National categories. Congratulations to Principal Mokgalaka and the team for winning the award, a Kitchen valued at R800 000 will soon be constructed. They are my guests today, can they please rise as we give them a round of applause.
In our previous’ year budget speech, we have reported that the number of learners from our schools changes every year because of their movement and new entrants in Grade R and exits in Grade 12. In the previous academic year, 3 601 Primary and Secondary Schools, 35 Special Schools benefited from the school nutrition programme. We have appointed 10 460 Voluntary Food handlers whose responsibility were to cook nutritious meals for learners who are beneficiaries of this very important intervention.
In the financial year 2023/24, the programme will serve meals to learners in 3 552 Primary and Secondary Schools and also to 35 Special Schools. 10 664 Voluntary Food Handlers will be appointed. Over the years of rolling out of school feeding in the Province, significant strides have been recorded. We are in this financial year introducing School breakfast to all Primary Schools in the Province.
Furthermore, in Vhembe West and Mogalakwena Districts, learners will be served with meals with additional protein products. Other Districts will be included in the subsequent financial year as the budget allows. All these good stories have been met with serious challenges such as burglaries and some service providers undermined our efforts by delivering substandard products in our schools. We have tightened our monitoring system and the service level agreement to monitor and take the service providers to task. The criminals are targeting food items stored in our facilities, kitchen utensils and other equipment. We are therefore making this plea that communities should assist in rooting out those merciless people who are hellbent to destroy the education of our kids.
Learner Transport
Honourable Speaker, the Province is making strides in this regard as learners are transported to schools. We have reported in 2022/23 budget, that the department provided learner transport to a total of 47 276 learners across the Limpopo Province.
The numbers has since increased from 47 276 to 59 905 learners in this academic year. This programme is assisting in minimizing absenteeism and late coming.
The budget allocation of R466 million for 2023/2024 has been set aside for the provision of Learner Transport to qualifying learners to access their learning centres with ease.
The relationship we have with the Department of Transport and Community Safety is vital to ensure compliance and safety of leaner transport.
In School Sport, Arts and Culture, Social Cohesion and Equity in Education
Honourable speaker, an active nation is indeed a healthy nation. We know sport can be a catalyst for social cohesion and as such, we have integrated it on our calendar to ensure that our learners are mentally, physically and psychologically prepared for their academic activities.
Honourable speaker, I am impressed by the commitment shown by both our learners, educators and the fitness teams. I am also delighted to report to this August house that, all sport programmes planned for 2023 – 2024 are on course. It will be a gross injustice on my side if I do not acknowledge the Special Schools that are competing at the National level, who year in, year out fly the flag of the Province higher. In our midst, I have invited the Principal of Tshilidzini Special School following the outstanding performance of our special learners in the Toyota National Championships held in Cape Town last week, Tshilidzini clinched Gold and Silver medals in various categories such as Javeline, shotput and marathon. It is my honour to request the Deputy Principal, Mr. Paul Netshituni and the team to rise, take a bow as we give them a warm applause.
Our Wheelchair Tennis Team was voted the Developing School of year at the SA Sport Awards held over the weekend. I will again ask my guest, the Principal of Helen Franz Mr. Matome Bopape and the team to rise as we appreciate them with a resounding round of applause.
Norms and Standards for School Funding
Honorable Speaker, Norms and Standards allocations to public ordinary schools and subsidies to independent schools were transferred to schools timeously and in accordance with pre-determined quintiles and categories respectively. An amount of R2. 693 billion is budgeted for Norms and Standards for 2023/24 financial year. The Department is using the national norm which is the following rate per learner for public ordinary schools:
Quintile 1-3: R 1602, Quintile 4: R 803 and Quintile 5: R277 and small schools will be funded at a maximum of R 37 129 per school.
Included in this budgeted amount is R10 million for compensation of fee exemption for learners from indigent families attending in fee paying school. The Department continues to monitor and support the use of funds transferred to schools through the implementation of Provincial Directives. The Department will conduct workshops to all public schools on implementation of Provincial Directives as well as all quintile 4 and 5 public schools focusing on the implementation of Fee Exemption Policy including Section 38A which deals with payment of additional remuneration to departmental employees. The purpose of these workshops will be to provide practical implementation of governance and financial management policies which are critical for effective learning and teaching in schools.
The Department will also monitor all public schools using the new hybrid monitoring tool that caters for Fee Paying and No Fee Schools to enforce compliance in the use of school funds and other school governance related measures.
Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI)
Honorable Speaker, It is our pleasure to share with this house that the Department is continuing with the implementation of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. The initiative has received an amount R 884 million. It has alleviated a lot of pressure in our households and also improved the provision of quality teaching and learning. Since the inception of the initiative in 2020, the progrramme has appointed over 135 000 youth and for the 2023/24 financial year 35 000 youth have been engaged on a new five months fixed contract.
Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC)
Honorable Speaker, the Department is busy resuscitating the establishment of Committees on Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC Committees) from school to provincial level and will also conduct induction workshops on their roles and responsibilities. National SGB elections are scheduled for March 2024 and the Department has started with preparations for the elections of all SGBs as their term of office is coming to an end in March 2024. The Department will be focusing on stakeholder engagements in order to strengthen the advocacy campaign activities in preparations for SGB Elections commencing in May 2023.
Honourable Speaker, we have developed a Leadership Programme for capacitating the Representative Council of Learners (RCLs) on leadership and development skills, knowledge, and attitudes. This programme will mainly focus on linking training on leadership and development with improvement of both school and learner performance.
HIV&AIDS Life Skills Programme
Honourable Speaker, we will continue with the HIV&AIDS life skill programme to ensure that the objective of fighting the spread of the pandemic is realized. We can confirm to this August house that educators were trained on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) for implementation in schools while Care and Support programmes were reached through the Learner Support Agents (LSAs) appointed in identified high burdened schools. Behaviour change Peer Education programmes for learner pregnancy reduction, the value of CSE in schools included learner Radio talk-shows in three main radio stations (Limpopo Combo), Thobela FM, Munghana Lonene FM and Phalaphala FM.
Other interventions on learner pregnancy reduction were conducted in schools through Global Fund Organization DREAMS (Determine, Resilience, Empowered, AIDS- Free, Mentored and Safe Initiative). This programme targeted Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYM) in four education districts, namely Capricorn North and South as well as Mopani East and West.
Important Advocacy campaigns commemorated included World Aids Day build up activities in the 9 Districts for 1000 learners, educators and support staff and the main activities hosted by the Honourable Premier Stanley Mathabatha on the 01 December 2022 at Ga- Mampuru village in Sekhukhune.
Honourable Speaker, the budget allocation for 2023/24 is R27, 036 million, a slight increase from the previous year’s allocation. The focus will be on the 1000 Schools which could not be reached in 2022/23. Planned activities will include SMT, educators, SGBs training on policies such as 2017-22 HIV, and TB, Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancies in schools, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Care and Support for Teaching and Learning.
Peer educators, Learner Support Agents (LSAs), Peer mentors, School Governing Bodies will receive training on Peer Education Guidelines.
Learners and educators will be trained on provision of Comprehensive Sexuality Education and access to sexual reproductive health services. Behaviour change programmes will be done through SABC radio talk shows and community stations in Sepedi, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
Global Fund Organization known as “Beyond Zero’ will offer Adolescent Girls and Young Women programme (AGYM) in 30 high burden schools.
Rationalization of Small and Non-Viable Schools
Honourable Speaker, we have a mandate to provide quality education in a conducive learning environment. According to the South African School Act, schools that are small and non viable are those that have learner enrollment of 135 for primary schools and 200 for secondary schools. Low learner numbers impacts negatively on teacher provisioning.
We call upon all stakeholders to support the programme of rationalization and realignment of public ordinary schools in order to ensure that all learners are provided with requisite number of educators and resources to afford them the future opportunities they deserve.
Honourable Speaker, in the 2022/23 financial year, we managed to rationalize a total of 51 schools. Therefore, the total number of rationalized schools in the province increased from 396 to 447.
The Department pronounced on a programme on the rationalization of small and non-viable schools. This progrmmme started on 13 April 2022 and affects 344 public ordinary schools.
The programme will continue in the 2023/24financial year and the process of consultations has already taken place in all the ten Education Districts. We appreciate all the inputs received from our stakeholders in this regard.
School Safety
Honourable speaker, In the third term of 2022/2023 the Department conducted a week long training for assistant directors for governance (DMGs) on Bullying, protocol, corporal punishment, sexual harassment, Child Rights and Child Act to empower them to deal with school safety challenges. In 2023, the DMGs will be trained on data capturing and processing for school safety to deal with the challenges of drug and alcohol abuse which lead to both bullying and gangsterism. Town schools are the most affected by incidents of bullying and gangsterism with Polokwane touted as a hotspot. The department has developed a training programme on drug testing and bullying to roll –out to public ordinary schools from April to June 2023.
E-Learning and Artificial Intelligence
We are privileged as South Africa to have scholars and visionaries in the space of the forth industrial revolution. Artificial intelligence is no longer a far-fetched phenomenon, it is a reality that we need to embrace and implement in our daily lives. I always cite among many, the Rector of the United Nations University Professor Tshilidzi Marwala for embracing the technology that many of us believed to be just a dream. It is a space that require all of us to read and research. In one of his emphasis on the need to read, Prof Marwala said, “those who do not read must not lead”. A man who lived up to his word and today he is leading an international University.
1. Coding and Robotics
A total of 158 schools in the province are currently participating in a coding and robotics pilot in the 10 Education Districts. Selected Teachers from the selected schools have so far received training on both coding and robotics. All the participating schools have received
laptops and robotics and coding starter packs . In the 2023/24 financial year, these schools will receive comprehensive coding and robotics kits.
We are delighted to once again announce that we have clinched the championship of Robotics and Coding Nationally, Ozias Davhana Secondary School has made the Province very proud. The Principal Ms. Ntsieni Thanyani is my guest and I will request her and the team to rise for a round of applause.
We have Plans to provide comprehensive Coding and Robotics kits and to increase the number of participating schools in preparation of the roll out. This will include procurement of interactive boards to all the Piloting Schools.
2. Provision of Tablets
The Department has procured 35 000 tablets for learners in Grade 1 and 8 in selected no fee schools in our ten Education Districts. Furthermore, the Department has received donations of laptops and tablets from various partners. We appreciate indeed and call on other partners to support in this regard.
Skills Development and Training of Employees
Honourable Speaker, we managed to deliver on programmes we committed to do in the 2022/23 financial year under the Skills Development Programme. 961 out 1000 Educators completed their Strategic ICT Integration with Wits School of Education, a programme that is responding to Section Number 09 of the National Strategy for learner attainment which is a critical aspect for teaching and learning.
Furthermore, 300 newly appointed principals and School Management Team Members enrolled on a 2-year School Management and Leadership Programme offered by the University of Pretoria will complete their studies at the end of this academic year. 100 Senior and middle Management Members enrolled for the leadership and management completed their studies with the Wits School of Governance. 200 Officials and Educators enrolled for Post Graduate studies (Honours, Masters & Doctorates) in different Universities.
The Targeting Talent Programme offered by the Wits School of Education has an intake of 80 learners who started in 2021 are now in their final year and they are part of the Matric Class of 2023. They have shown remarkable performance over the years.
Honourable speaker, In the 2023/24 financial year, the allocation for the overall Skills Development Programme is R212,6million which will be utilized to capacitate the different categories of serving employees at all levels i.e., Institution and Office – based Educators as well as Public Service Employees. We will continue to pay special attention on the Initial Teacher Education and graduate development programme for the unemployed youth who require work integrated learning to complete their studies.
Honourable speaker, I am pleased to announce that with the allocated budget alluded to above, we will in the new financial year continue to capacitate both our staff members and learners. We are going to implement the following;
- Enrol 1000 Educators in a Strategic ICT Integration in Education, a programme which will equip Educators with knowledge, skills, in-depth understanding of how to integrate ICT and computing devices in teaching and learning as well as assessment, accessibility, and usability, most importantly fitting into the 4th Industrial Revolution space with broader understanding and application skills.
- upport the 300 School Principals and Deputy Principals who are in the second year of their School Management and Leadership Diploma with the University of Pretoria South Africa.
- We will continue to support 200 employees provided with bursaries to further their studies (Honours, Masters and PhD) with different Universities.
- Provide Schools’ Departmental Heads with Mentoring and Coaching studies to enable them to unlock the potential of educators under their supervision.
- The Internship will programme will be supported for R23m and the Presidential Youth Empowerment Initiative receives an allocation of R16.6m to continue the provision of job opportunities for our unemployed youth in the Province.
Honourable Speaker, the Department Programmes for Educator Development will provide bursaries to 100 students pursuing teaching profession in South African Universities. The national Funza Lushaka bursary scheme will proceed with funding for university students registered for a Bachelor of Education specialising in provincial specific critical, scarce and gateway subjects as part of our enhancement of the educator supply pipeline into the system.
Educator Post Basket
Honourable Speaker, it is my pleasure to announce that even under these unfavourable economic conditions, the Department has retained the educator post basket of 51 752 posts for the 2023 school/academic year. This is to ensure that the quality learning and teaching is not negatively affected by the current economic environment.
It should be noted that the pressure related on educator provisioning remains. The increase in learner enrolment has put a lot of pressure in the provisioning of educator posts. This has resulted in the rise of the learner – educator ratio, which in turn increased the average class – size in all categories of our schooling system. Class – size is among the important variables of quality learning and teaching.
Honourable Speaker, the Department in continuing with its drive to recruit new young entrants to the profession by ensuring that Educators below the age of 30 years are prioritized for appointment. The Limpopo Department, Funza Lushaka and NSFAS Bursary scheme continue to be an impactful pipeline for the supply of educators for scarce skills subjects. In 2022/23, the Department thus far appointed 1 375 teachers who are 30 years and below; 407 of which came from the bursary schemes. We aim for the target of appointment of 2000 young educators in this regard. The supply from the bursary schemes for 2023/24 is projected at 737 bursary holders who will be appointed in schools in need.
Recruitment: Filling of School - Based Promotion Posts:
Honourable Speaker, as per the commitment made to strengthen school management teams (SMTs), we are glad to report to the august house and the people of Limpopo that we appointed 380 Principals, Deputy Principals and Departmental Heads for our schools in the year under review.
We reiterate that the filling of these posts will enhance the capacity of the School Management Teams (SMTs) in driving school governance and curriculum management responsibilities. We therefore expect improved functionality and performance of our schools. The filling of SMT posts remain our key component of our Recruitment Plan even in 2023/24.
Filling of support staff posts
The Department is continuing to fill the vacancies at Operational, Middle, and Senior Management levels. We took a conscious decision to recruit, Curriculum Advisors and School Governance Specialists to support schools in the delivery of curriculum and school governance. The focus is to have circuits and districts that are able to perform the critical coordination role they are meant for in our system.
Infrastructure
Honourable Speaker, The department continues to build capability within the Infrastructure and Physical Resources unit by recruiting key professionals to the unit. The recruitment drive will continue in 2023/24 financial year with the objective of reducing the high vacancy rate the Department have had to live-through over the years. We are grateful for the huge support from Office of the Premier and Provincial Treasury in this regard.
The Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) budget allocated for infrastructure development in this financial year is R 1.371 billion. The Department has received an additional allocation of R100 million to attend to storm damaged schools. The Total Infrastructure Development budget amounts to R 1.471 billion.
The infrastructure budget will be utilized towards new and replacement of infrastructure; upgrading of existing infrastructure; refurbishment, rehabilitation, and renovations of existing infrastructure (including storm damaged schools); as well as maintenance and repairs of existing infrastructure.
In the 2022/23 financial year, The Limpopo Department of Education was able to complete the upgrading and additions of 11 schools. Amongst the completed schools is Kgakgala Primary at Mokamole Village under Mogalakwena Local Municipality. We handed over the school to the community and I must indicate that our communities appreciate the good work that the ANC led government continue to do. I have emphasized the importance of looking after the property and for the parents to take ownership of their own infrastructure. The other ten schools that we ably completed are:
- Alldays Primary School.
- Leduma Mahume Primary School
- Modishane Primary School
- George Maragula Secondary School
- Malamulele Secondary School
- Kgabagare Primary School
- BK Matlala Secondary School
- Motloulela Secondary School
- Ngwanalaka Secondary School
- Hector Pietersen Primary School
Honourable Premier, Stanley Chupu Mathabatha, we know that you have been pushing for the finalization of one of our biggest projects at Rivoni Special School. The construction of Rivoni Special School for the Blind is proceeding well. The project is on course to be completed as scheduled. The physical progress on the project is currently sitting at 70%. The contractor is on course to complete the project well before the contracted completion date of the 24th of June 2024.
Your wish to cut a ribbon at the school will be realized and the commitment we got from the contractor is that the project will be finalized before the end of this year.
The process for the procurement of the contractor for Asiphumelele Special School is underway. This is a second special school that the Department will want to focus on in the 2023/24 financial year in terms of providing appropriate infrastructure.
In order to further improve teaching and learning conditions, the Department is currently undertaking major upgrades and additions to 59 schools across all the 10 educational districts in the Province. Contractors have been appointed and construction is in progress. This investment will ensure major improvement of the teaching and learning environment particularly for schools in the rural areas. 25 of these had sites handed over in December/January. The schools include the new Maphuthi Manamamela Secondary School located in Modimolle. The completion of the school will provide much needed relief as the schools in the area are already over-subscribed.
The following are some of the schools that are under construction and are scheduled to be completed in the current financial year.
- John Xikundu Primary School
- Matokane Secondary School
- Mahwahwa Secondary School
- DZJ Mtebule Secondary School
- Nhlayisi Secondary School
- Manthe Primary School
- Makgongoana Secondary School
- April Makgakga Primary School
- Maboko Nkomo Primary School
- Khwara Secondary School
Honourable Speaker, The planning phase of an additional 105 schools has commenced. The schools include the new Bendor and Tzaneen Secondary Schools which will go a long way in alleviating admission congestions in the city and town schools. We will be commencing with the construction of two Schools under Pietersburg Circuit to accommodate the growing population.
I want to applaud the Executive Mayor of Polokwane Municipality Cllr. John Mpe and the Executive Committee for their keen interest in the projects. The Executive Mayor and his team are traversing the journey with us because the lack of education infrastructure and the frustrations that come with enrollment affect all of us.
I can further confirm that water and sanitation infrastructure projects for 137 schools is under construction. These projects are geared towards the eradication of pit latrines in schools.
Construction at all the 137 schools is envisaged to be completed in the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year.
The Department has successfully procured a panel of contractors. The panel is a rapid delivery mechanism which will assist the Department in expediting the engagement of contractors to attend to schools that require urgent maintenance. The panel is also earmarked to assist the Department to drastically reduce turnaround times in the appointment of replacement contractors where contractors are terminated.
Honourable Speaker, Let me take this opportunity to present the 2023/24 Vote 3 Budget for the Limpopo Department of Education.
The Department has, in 2023/24 financial year, been allocated a total of R38.188 billion, comprised of Equitable Share (R34.106 billion), Conditional Grant (R3.354 billion) and Own Revenue (R727.8 million). This constitutes an increase of R1.743 billion or 4.8 percent from the Main Appropriation of R36.445 billion in 2022/23.
Details of the allocation per Economic Classification items are as follows:
Compensation of Employees (R28.299 billion); Goods and Services (R4.466 billion); Transfers and Subsidies (R4.316 billion), and Payments for Capital Assets (R1.107 billion) respectively. The Compensation of Employees budget accounts for 74.2% of the total budget, and when Conditional Grants’ allocation is excluded, the percentage increases to 81%. Of the R28.203 billion CoE for Equitable Share, it is necessary to highlight that, R25.703 billion (91.1%) is for Educator’s salaries.
Included in the budget are the following Conditional Grants:
- R1.665 billion for National School Nutrition Programme
- R1.372 billion for Education Infrastructure
- R187.261 million for Early Childhood Development
- R49.592 million for Maths, Science and Technology
- R34.228 million for Learners with Severe Profound Intellectual Disability
- R27.036 million for HIV/AIDS (Life Skills Education)
- R17.065 million for EPWP Social Sector Incentive
- R2.444 million for EPWP Integrated
The list below shows summary of the allocation set aside for Departmental Priorities:
- Norms and standards for Public Ordinary Schools (Transfers to schools and LTSM), R2.693 billion;
- Independent Schools Subsidies (Transfers to schools), R160.282 million
- Public Special School Education (Transfers to schools), R96.380 million
- Scholar Transport, R466.231 million;
- School Furniture, R66.169 million;
- E-Education, R321.560 million;
- Learner Attainment Strategy; R156.425 million;
- Sanitary Dignity Project; R36.903 million;
- Inclusive Education; R16.016 million
- Teacher Development, R15.408 million
- Education Management Information System (EMIS), R14.871 million
- Matric Results Intervention Strategy, R13.0 million
- Library Services, R6.080 million
- Quality, Improvement, Development, Support and Upliftment Programme (QIDS-UP), R4.628 million;
- Systemic Evaluation, R2.286 million;4
- HRD System, R1.355 million; and
- School Safety, R1.0 million
As I conclude, it is very important that we must from time to time look into ourselves and make honest assessments of where we are and where we intend to be in our quest to deliver quality basic education for learners of Limpopo. Let us always bear in mind that every child is a national asset and for us to develop these assets, we need the participation of all stakeholders. Our doors are always open for whatever inputs that will take Limpopo to greater heights. We urge you to participate freely and contribute positively in the interest of children of Limpopo whose education we must protect, advance and promote.
I want to take this opportunity and appreciate the Oversight and Support the Department is always receiving from the Education Portfolio Committee Chairperson Honourable Violet Mathye and the Members of the Portfolio Committee, I thank you;
I also want to thank the HoD, Ms Onica Dederen, Management Team and everyone within Team Education, SGBs, Unions and all Stakeholders in the Education Sector. I want to extend a special appreciation to my supportive family represented by my grandson Masana, who is currently doing grade 7, who in our conversation on the importance of Education, his straight answer was “Education gives us knowledge which shapes who we are and prepare us for the future”. He said by it is because the teachers are teaching him until he grasps the subject matter.
Education is a Societal Matter!
I thank you!
