MEC did not address our concerns claims the Democratic Alliance
MEC FOR EDUCATION:
Danie van der Lith THE DA in the Northern Cape will not support the provincial education budget, presented by the MEC for Education, Martha Bartlett, yesterday, without seeing visible improvements in the way the department manages its performance and finances.
When commenting on the budget yesterday, DA provincial spokesperson for Education, Safiya Stanfley, said that pupil transport was among the opposition party’s concerns that had not been adequately addressed in Bartlett’s budget, and she added that programmes to drive local pupils to school had collapsed.
“A presentation done by the Department of Basic Education in Parliament three weeks ago, shows that approximately 12 percent of qualifying pupils in the Northern Cape did not receive pupil transport during the previous financial year,” Stanfley explained. “Our concern is that, while the department is aware of the chaos, it seemingly plans to do nothing about it in this financial year.
“We simply cannot accept that 12 percent of qualifying pupils are denied pupil transport and continue as though that is business as usual.”
She also questioned why the department had not listed new infrastructural developments when presenting its budget.
“The department stated during the presentation of its budget that it has not yet allocated any of the infrastructure projects it wants to undertake this year. If we delay awarding contracts, creating our own pressures to have work of a certain standard completed by a specified time, and fail to monitor the contracts we have awarded, we are setting our infrastructure projects up for failure – at great cost to the pupils who are stuck relying on inadequate infrastructure.”
The prevalence of teen pregnancy in Northern Cape schools was another concern raised by the opposition party, with Stanfley saying that the statistics in this regard were alarming.
“Considering the fact that 157 pupils fell pregnant in the Northern Cape during 2016, of whom 36 were in Grade 9 or younger, we definitely need a firm, feasible strategy to address teenage pregnancies,” she said. “Will the department be able to deliver this in the financial year ahead?
“The Democratic Alliance participated in the committee meetings and analysed the relevant documents. Having done so, we can only support the budget on the condition that improvements are seen in the way the department manages its performance and its finances. And these improvements must be done sooner rather than later.”
Meanwhile, the ANC provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, said that the party welcomed the budget and commended Bartlett and her department on the work they have been doing.
“The budget vote represents and lays a firm basis on the important foundations that we believe are critical for building a sustainable future for our current generation,” Ngxanga said.
“The ANC has made clear commitments related to education and we are confident that the budget vote adequately responds to these commitments. We also welcome the allocated budget to support teacher development programmes.”
Ngxanga also praised the department’s efforts to curb the overcrowding of classrooms and commended the establishment of new schools.
“The ANC will continue to monitor the implementation of the policy statement and engage where there is no movement,” Ngxanga concluded.