ACDP welcomes 6% budget increase - says DBE taking too long to deliver

MEDIA RELEASE

Cheryllyn Dudley MP ACDP

7th May 2013

ACDP Member of Parliament, Cheryllyn Dudley, today during the Basic Education Budget in the National Assembly said: “Hon Minister, despite the efforts and the progress I have seen, the people of South Africa are extremely frustrated that it is taking so long to deliver improved quality education to meet the human resource development needs of the country and to end poverty and inequality. With this in mind the African Christian Democratic Party welcomes the R164 billion budget for Basic Education - an increase of almost 6%. 

Government’s mantra of 'do more with less' now becomes 'do more with more' in the case of DBE – no less of a challenge however, as under-spending and lack of delivery has been a serious problem particularly in the area of infrastructure backlogs. 

In the last financial year, the department received R2.3-billion to replace 496 schools and to provide 1 257 schools with water, 878 schools with electricity and 868 schools with sanitation.   Only 12 of 49 mud schools in the Eastern Cape were replaced, only 106 schools received water, 144 received sanitation and 118 received electricity – this resulted in nearly R1.7 billion for infra-structure being re-directed away from basic education – a great shame!

Apart from infrastructure, quality education requires quality teachers and quality textbooks.  Two areas in which the department has failed to deliver!  

The ACDP regards the disruption of learners’ studies by union activities as extremely problematic and weare calling on government to commit fully to ensuring that the teaching profession is held to a higher professional standard.
DBE promises to improve accountability measures to ensure all teachers are in school, on time, regularly, and teaching – seriously begs the question - ‘why have you waited till now?’ This is not exactly a new revelation!

The ACDP has welcomed theNational Education Evaluation and Development Units (NEEDU) 2012 Report on the state of Literacy Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Phase. There are grave concerns about poor levels of reading and it is in the foundation phase where the education battle is won or lost.

We note that problem areas identified include difficulties experienced by teachers and learners regarding language and we support the introduction of English as a compulsory Additional Language in African language schools.  Learners must have a solid grounding to assist them when they move from the Foundation Phase to the Intermediate Phase.

A good grounding in a learner’s Home Language is just as important and we welcome the new policy that will come into effect in 2014 mandating the learning of an African language in all schools.

Provincial Education Departments (PED’s) have been cutting independent school subsidies unilaterally by as much as 40% which is not in line with the present Norms and Standards for School Funding.  These subsidy cuts have resulted in some schools closing down and others, operating under impossible financial constraints. The ACDP is calling for allocations to independent schools to be made by National Treasury and “ring-fenced” at provincial level.

Accreditation of independent schools - a key mandate of Umalusi in terms of its founding Act - remains severely underfunded and independent schools have to pay. A small, low-fee school must pay up to R40 000 for accreditation and High fee schools have to find up to R75 000 for the process.  The ACDP is calling for an increased allocation to deliver on this mandate.  Independent schools are an asset and South Africa should place greater value on their existence and inclusion in delivering accessible and quality education.

The ACDP will support this budget which must succeed in remedying shortcomings and eliminating barriers to quality education if we are to address inequality, poverty and both - chronic under- and unemployment.”
-Ends-
For more information contact Cheryllyn Dudley, MP, 082 890 6520 (SMS best for urgent response)

Media enquiries: Keeno Petersen, Media Liaison Officer, ACDP - Parliament, Tel: 021-403-3307 or Email:kpetersen@parliament.gov.za