Honourable House Chairperson,
The ACDP notes that Basic Education has been allocated R324.5 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, further noting that the annual average budget increase of only two per cent is less than half the present inflation rate of 4.5%.
The failing through-put of learners from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and the inability of Grade 4’s to read with meaning, lends evidence to the assertion that the Department has failed our children, and the new Minister, Hon Gwarube, must leave no stone unturned to rectify this. There is a concern that this budget “will result in fewer teachers and increased class sizes in some provinces.” It is evident that the country’s growing debt and debt-servicing costs has resulted in a dereliction of the government’s Section 29 constitutional duties.
The ACDP is aware of the predicted wave of teacher retirement, yet instead of investing funds in training prospective teachers, crucial initiatives such as the Funza Lushaka Bursary continue to be underfunded. While appreciating the need to train primary school teachers in robotics, coding and data analytics, this should not come at the cost of future teacher training.
The ACDP asserts that the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector, recognised as being foundational in supporting children’s development, is grossly underfunded. Furthermore, the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, which the ACDP will continue to oppose, will struggle to make possible the proposals to make Grade R compulsory.
Consideration for food price inflation does not reflect in provision for the vital NSNP schools nutrition programme. So, if inflation rises, the NSNP will not be adequately funded to carry the cost of nutritious meals to all nine million learners.
Hundreds of infrastructure projects were suspended due to Covid but the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) does not account for their resumption. The total 2024 infrastructure budget of R14.95 billion is insufficient to provide the 70,000 additional classrooms needed in over 8,000 schools, address classroom overcrowding and eliminate pit toilets.
The aggressive cuts to social spending due to government debt, corruption, fraud and maladministration are a significant blow to the quality education of millions of poor and low-income households. Minister, you and your department must not allow this to continue and must not pay lip service to the constitutional mandate that ‘everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education’.
I thank you.
