by Lorraine Botha
Since 1994, the ANC has claimed to prioritise the provision of quality education. Rightfully so, as education promises to uplift the lives of individuals by laying the basis for economic prosperity, particularly when considering the past injustices in South Africa and the ways in which schooling was previously denied to oppress generations. Now, as the curtain will close on a born-free generation, the governing party has not made good on its promise to prioritise education for its intended purpose.
Placement of learners is an ongoing process and can only be established once final numbers have been determined for a new academic year. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED), nevertheless, plans to accommodate an additional 10 000 learners every year by making additional facilities available.
And for years, the WCED has been calling to prioritise the adapting of the Provincial Equitable Share (PES) ratio in order for sufficient funding to follow the exponential growth of learners in the province.
The PES division is premised on population weightings and is largely informed by Statistics SA, which is only available every five years. In effect, if the province accommodates 10 000 learners annually, over five years, by the time the PES has the opportunity to be adapted, the province would have a 50 000-large backlog in funding’s to accommodate learners.
This means that the operational formula in the province is still based on census 2016.
Thus there is a clear need for a system where funding has to follow learners accurately and timely. Logically, the status quo does not uphold Section 214 of the Constitution of the Republic, which makes provision for the equitable share of revenue.
The challenge with placement is not unique to the Western Cape, with the Gauteng Education Department having more than 40 000 unplaced learners between Grades 1 and 8. This is a crystal-clear indicator that the most basic need and constitutional rights of access to schooling is not being met, never mind reference to actual qualitative learning.
It is deeply disturbing that we have yet to see accommodation for this growth from national government in its division of revenue. Instead, the infrastructural budget in the province has been cut by 30% during the First Adjustment Budget of 2020, while the business rescue plan of SA Airways, which does not provide any necessary services, could have built 25 new schools in the country and placed at least 25 000 learners.
In his 2019 State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa announced the provision of tablets for learners which would have been a vital learning support tool, with the demand for distance learning at schools due to the global pandemic.
Not only does this remain a pipe dream, there are provinces where schools lack the necessary basic infrastructure to begin with. Whether national government fails to uphold its promise or priority, we need to ensure that we meet the need of entrance to schools, firstly and adequately.
It is a known and sad reality that Covid-19 laid bare the economic hardship of many households, businesses and government. Even though government could offer relief in the form of support grants to individuals and sectoral organisations, we have reached a point at which the spending on debt to fund government services, equals the size of the national education budget.
Learners are paying for years of mismanagement and corruption, a further deterrent of quality education.
The DA in the Western Cape notes with concern that it is not yet clear to the ANC-led national government that their failure to prioritise the adaption of the PES in real terms affects the provision of quality education in this province and country. And for this reason, we have agreed that a formal request be placed before the National Council of Provinces chairperson for every province to provide briefings on the status of education funding and key priorities moving forward, as education is a shared concern which provinces can, and should, tackle together.
We are rapidly approaching the start of a new academic year, a time at which the ANC in the Western Cape, once again, uses the placement of learners to play petty politics. They could rather use their position to lobby their national colleagues for a fair PES by which funds follow the learners who seek placement in the Western Cape and, where the provincial department with a budget stretched beyond breaking point, delivers on its mandate to provide quality education, nonetheless.
For the ANC in the Western Cape, though, politicisation of education at the start of every new academic year will not place more learners in schools, let alone expand the quality of education in the country.
* Lorraine Botha, MPP and DA Western Cape spokesperson on Education.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
Do you have something on your mind; or want to comment on the big stories of the day? We would love to hear from you. Please send your letters to [email protected].
All letters must have your proper name and a valid email address to be considered for publication.