MEC outlines plans to improve education in province
Education MEC Fundile Gade acknowledged some shortfalls during a visit to Gqeberha, and said his department planned to provide quality education and infrastructure for the province’s hundreds of thousands of pupils.
Gade was speaking at a media briefing on Friday at Victoria Park High School in Walmer regarding various educational matters following his recent policy and budget presentation speech for the 2023/2024 financial period to the provincial legislature in Bhisho.
Gade said among their top priorities for the new financial year was rolling out information and communication technology services in 2,000 schools.
He said to ensure the safety of pupils particularly in gangridden parts of the northern areas, the department had introduced a fencing programme for 191 schools across the province, with 30 projects having been completed and 106 in different stages of construction.
Addressing overcrowding and infrastructure challenges in schools, he said 78 prefabricated classrooms had been relocated last year to 18 schools.
And an additional 319 classrooms were completed at different schools, with 120 schools undergoing renovations, of which 33 were already completed.
“Part of the nightmare that we always have is our inability to resolve the issue of infrastructure backlogs in the province.
“Between March 2022 and March 2023, 31 schools valued at R1.8bn have been handed over in the province.
“In the upcoming financial year the building of the previous abandoned projects will start with 30 major projects at an estimated value of R20m.”
According to Gade the hostel programme would see more hostels being built, enabling them to curb challenges brought about by the scholar transport system.
Acting head of department Mahlubandile Qwase admitted the province had in the past had poor infrastructure planning and implementation, as evidenced by the forfeiting of R100m in the last financial year as a result of slow spending.
“We had already budgeted and developed plans and committed plans when that budget was taken.
“The money was gazetted and taken away. The basis of taking the money away was the expenditure of December 31 2022 but we had a number of invoices that were ready,” Qwase said.
He said implementing agents had complained about their payment methods and the department would return to tranche payments to avoid contractors leaving construction sites.