Cape town: Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, announced plans to establish an advisory body to address key educational issues such as promotion requirements and school resources. The advisory body, named the National Education and Training Council, will focus on critical aspects including school resourcing, teacher workloads, and progression standards.
According to South African Government News Agency, Minister Gwarube emphasized the necessity of a well-researched approach to determine appropriate pass marks in various subjects, ranging from 30% to 50%. She stressed the importance of responsible curriculum development to support children’s education. While presenting the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) Budget Vote, she highlighted the budget’s role in bridging educational gaps and enhancing each learner’s potential.
The DBE’s total budget exceeds R35 billion, marking an increase of over 8% from the previous year. This budget prioritizes Early Childhood Development (ECD), with an increase in the ECD Conditional Grant to over R1.7 billion, including allocations for an ECD Nutrition Pilot and infrastructure projects.
Minister Gwarube stated the department’s strategy revolves around foundational learning, ensuring children can read and calculate by age ten. Additionally, the budget allocates over R4.6 billion to Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring, enhancing teacher support and curriculum delivery.
The R1.2 billion Workbook Programme will continue to supply learning materials, including Braille and adaptive formats, for Grades R to 9. The department also emphasizes mother-tongue based bilingual education, allocating R57 million to aid learners not taught in their native languages.
To create an inclusive education system, the department is enhancing support for full-service and special schools through the Inclusive Education Conditional Grant and monitoring provincial spending on assistive devices and teacher aides.
In teacher development, the department invests over R1.8 billion in teacher training, mentorship, and leadership, with the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme funding over 9,000 students. Recruitment efforts focus on candidates willing to teach in rural and high-need areas.
On infrastructure, the R15.3 billion Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) will help eliminate pit toilets, expand classrooms, and repair schools. The department has completed 97% of sanitation projects under the SAFE initiative and aims to eradicate remaining unsafe facilities.
Regarding nutrition, R10 billion will maintain the school nutrition programme, feeding over nine million learners daily. Efforts to enhance menu quality, delivery, and local sourcing are ongoing, with the programme supporting 9.7 million learners.
The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, aimed at updating sections of the South African Schools Act and Employment of Educators Act, has been actively supported by the DBE. Training, interim guidelines, and draft regulations are in place, with the first set focused on admissions and capacity soon available for public comment.