Thumbs up for back to school effort
PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on basic education praised the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for “the sterling work it has done during the difficult time” of Covid-19 with the reintroduction of schooling.
“We saw the reintroduction of the second phase of face-to-face schooling on Monday. We must commend the DBE, led by Minister Angie Motshekga, for its hard work in this difficult time,” said committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba.
Mbinqo-Gigaba said there was plenty of pressure not to reopen schools, but the department was standing strong and putting pupils first.
The committee, together with the select committee on education and technology, sports, arts and culture, held a virtual briefing on Tuesday with statutory bodies regarding the proposed adjusted budgets due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committees heard that the DBE had to contribute to the government’s R500 billion Covid-19 relief package announced by the president.
She said the DBE contributed about R2bn and was left with about R22bn. The committee further heard that the DBE was not one of the front-line departments that benefited from the Covid-19 relief package.
According to the department, in terms of budget savings, the current budget reduction of R71 million was not going to have a negative effect on the workbook project.
“For the 2021 academic year, there are workbooks that were initially earmarked for donation to poor private schools. These books will no longer be donated to the private schools but will now be sent to public schools to fill the budget shortfall.”
Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) acting chief financial officer Ben Keet told the committee that its budget was not expected to decrease. “It has an additional R2.33m on Covid-19-related expenditure, including personal protective equipment and screening processes.”
Keet said all other changes in expenditure were expected to be self-financed. For example, online moderation of the cost of question papers would be covered by reduction in travelling and associated costs.
“We must commend the DBE for its hard work in this difficult time Bongiwe Mbinqo- Gigaba PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION