Free State MEC for education, Tate Makgoe, believes his department’s R10.45-billion 2013/2014 budget will ensure overall improvement of education in the province and help in the achievement of an 85 percent matric pass rate this year.
Makgoe said given the modest 0.21 percent budget increase from the past financial year, there is a dire need to tighten the belt and spend the budget frugally. Delivering the department’s budget vote at Helena farm in Marquard on Tuesday, Makgoe said his department will focus on bursaries for tertiary education, school infrastructure, expansion of the early childhood development programme, continuation of the no-fee policy, learner support (learner transport, hostel and nutrition programme), provision of learner and teachers support materials and enhancement of learner performance in national senior certificate. The department will also focus on improving the annual national assessments with special focus on maths and science.
More than R142-million has been allocated for 2013/2014 financial year to ensure that children receive bursaries to study in tertiary institutions.
“In 2008, only 55 learners were given bursaries but we managed to give out bursaries to 6 749 learners to study full time since then to date,” said Makgoe.
The MEC said the department will continue to ensure the centrality of learning and teaching in the provision of quality education.
“The document correctly appreciates that effective schooling requires teachers, textbooks and time. Since 2009 we have introduced a new cost effective model of LTSM procurement in which we procure directly from the publisher and manufactures. In 2009 and 2010 we spent about R36-million on the provision of textbooks.
The expenditure on textbooks rose from R201-million in 2011 to R234-million in 2012. This was due to the introduction of the national curriculum assessment policy statement and the imperative to ensure that by 2014 each child has a textbook for each subject and for each grade. In preparation for the 2014 academic year attention will be given to CAPS textbooks for grade 7-9 and grade 12,” said Makgoe.
The department has made considerable effort in tackling physical infrastructure backlogs in schools.
Makgoe noted that the department was making headway in gradually banishing the legacy of apartheid in the schools.
“In the last four years we have completed 19 schools inclusive of all educational facilities. Construction of five new schools commenced in the 2010/2011 financial year, two of these schools are completed and the other three schools will be completed during the 2013/2014 financial year.
“Through the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) we will replace inappropriate structures in 30 schools in the next two years. This programme seeks to replace schools which were previously built with prefabricated material including asbestos. To restore dignity in education and improve quality learning and teaching we have since 2009 constructed 30 grade R classrooms, 91 classrooms, 10 administration blocks, 12 halls, five media centres, six laboratories in existing schools,” added Makgoe.
He said 200 farm schools will be provided with free access to internet connectivity.
“Together with Microsoft SA we will provide unified communication platform to all the schools with internet access. Through this platform which is called office 365, leaners and teachers in these schools will receive personalised e-mail accounts and free Microsoft office packages.
We are also delighted to announce that an enrolment in FET colleges has phenomenally increased from 26 012 in 2009 to 29 023 in 2013 and in this academic year, R141.4 million has been set aside for bursaries to assist needy and deserving learners in the province.”
Makgoe thanked Kagiso Trust and Shanduka Foundation for their partnership with the department of education and their contributions in improving learning and teaching in provincial schools.
“The magnitude of this partnership is unheard of. Both Kagiso Trust and Shanduka Foundation committed R200-million and we have set aside R200-million for this project. The partnership will enhance effective learning and teaching in more than 400 Fezile Dabi District, Thaba-Nchu and Botshabelo schools in the next five years.”
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