Deputy Speaker, the EFF rejects this budgetary review and recommendation report. To get our education system to work, we must start at the basics. One of the most important things to be done is the institutionalisation of early childhood development, ECD, within the Department of Basic Education.
Firstly, early childhood development teachers must be permanently employed by the department, which will enable the department to also standardise the training of these teachers in the kind of syllabus that ECD teachers and centres must follow.
Secondly, the department has no way of stopping the massive drop-out rates of learners from the basic education system. More than one million pupils registered for Grade 1 in 2007 and only 512 700 or 51% of those who enrolled in 2007 wrote matric examinations in 2018. This means that over 400 000 learners were lost in the system. This is tantamount to childhood neglect by the state. We
have no way of knowing where this 400 000 young people are. We have no way of capacitating them so that they can become economically active. Chances are that these young people will never have a meaningful employment in their lives.
This is over and above the fact that South Africa has the worse quality of education system in all middle-income countries that participate in Cross- National Assessment of Educational Achievement. This department has no vision for improving basic education in this country. Therefore, once again, we reject this report. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, as the DA, we have always been concerned about the state of our education. What we have seen now recently is the fact that the department has lost the budget in terms of ensuring that we complete the infrastructure, specifically when you talk about the pit toilets. At this stage, learners use pit toilets, especially in the area of Limpopo.
The other issue that we are also concerned about is the fact that our budget has consistently been cut by Treasury. Funds have been directed to Eskom and all other SOEs, because this government does not regard education as a priority. South Africans, including the learners, have constantly been treated like stepchildren because every time the budget is not allocated as it should be allocated.
The issue of infrastructure is worrying as well as the drop-out rate. The drop-out rate has also increased and if you look at the number of learners that have registered now for matric, you will find that there are about 700 000 learners that are currently writing matric as oppose to plus/minus a million learners who came into the system. So, again we have seen a lost of learners who have dropped out from the system.
So, these are the concerns. Although we agree with the report itself, we still have a lot of questions that need to be addressed, specifically when it comes to the budget. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, in order to radically transform education in South Africa in accordance with our core constitutional values, we must begin by radically improving the quality of basic education across the board.
Quality education of the same standard must be available to all South African learners, as this is the cornerstone of the future success of this country and its people. Yet, universal and standardized quality education costs money and with inadequate funding, this goal will not be achieved. This is a reality that we must face. Simply stated, more funding must be provided.
I am consistently hearing from the national Department of Basic Education that the fault in respect of the provision of quality education lies with the provincial education departments. The national Department of Basic Education must ensure a national standard of quality education across each province and not pass the buck to provincial departments when the standard of education is found to be lower than the nationally set targets. The department must take responsibility for its mandate and
the IFP will ensure it is held accountable, in this respect.
Equity, particularly from the viewpoint of schools in historically disadvantaged areas must be prioritised and addressed in all areas of education.
Having made known the above serious concerns, the IFP will support the budgetary review and recommendation report. Thank you.
Afrikaans:
Adjunkspeaker, die VF Plus verwerp hierdie verslag. Terwyl mens wil herken dat die Minister, vandat sy die kantoor 10 jaar gelede oorgeneem het, heelwat stabiliteit aan 'n hoogs onstabiele departement gebring het, as gevolg van ontoepaslike, hoewel idealistiese beleidsrigtings, is daar min in Basiese Onderwys om vandag oor opgewonde te wees.
Die sentrale probleem waarrondom alles wentel is die deprofessionalisering van die onderwys as 'n professie. Onderwysers word onderwerp aan 'n ouditkultuur wat
beteken dat tyd wat aan voorbereiding bestee behoort te word, gebruik word om op te teken wat hulle gedoen het, terwyl dit doogewoon is wat 'n toegewyde en professionele onderwyser behoort te doen.
Dit is nie toevallig dat hierdie ouditkultuur nodig is nie. Die rede daarvoor is die werk van die Suid- Afrikaanse Demokratiese Onderwysersunie, Sadou, wat 'n verderflike invloed op Basiese Onderwys in Suid-Afrika het.
In 2016 het die Volmink-verslag alreeds melding gemaak van die poste-vir- geld skandaal. U ken dit nie as 'n skandaal nie, want dit het nie die nodige aandag gekry nie.
Terwyl moedertaalonderrig erken word word dit op dieselfde tyd ondermyn. En dan kom ons by die huidige probleem wat nie as iets wat oorgerf is beskou kan word nie en dit is die lomp en geheimsinnige manier waarop die sogenaamde omvattende seksonderrig deur die departement, op die oog af, teen die begin van 2020 geimplementeer gaan word. Die probleem is dat daar 'n verslag is wat
verdoemend is op hierdie poging waarmee die departement besig is, en tog lyk dit asof die departement nie ouers, onderwysers of hierdie Huis in sy vertroue wil neem nie. Die VF Plus verwerp hierdie verslag. Baie dankie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Afrikaans:
Agb Adjunkspeaker, onderwys is die equalizer [gelykmaker] in 'n land wat as die mees ongelyke land ter wreld beskryf word. Daarom is die onderbesteding van R284,8 miljoen in die 2018-19 finansile jaar 'n groot teleurstelling.
Die Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative, Asidi-program in Program 4, verantwoordelik vir infrastruktuur, het projekte ter waarde van R230 miljoen. Hierdie projekte om skole te bou het tot 'n stilstand gekom in die Oos-Kaap. Uit die begroting van R230 miljoen is meer as R208 miljoen onder gespandeer. Daar is 'n geleentheid vir departemente om saam te werk, sodat gemeenskappe in gebiede soos die Oos-Kaap bevoordeel word.
Huidiglik is die wenners die implementing agents [implementeringsagente], wat die departement aanskaf, wat swak werk doen en nie bevoegd is om die werk te doen nie.
English:
We cannot expect millions of unemployment people, many of whom are qualified and skilled contractors, to sit back and buy into ideas and projects in their communities, which neither they themselves, nor their children benefit from in a meaningful way.
We therefore encourage the department to seek diverse strategies to ensure that communities benefit from these projects.
Afrikaans:
Ons vra ook dat die departement groter oorsig in provinsies doen, sodat gelyke onderwys in Suid-Afrika verseker kan word. Dankie.
Deputy Speaker, giving quality public education to all South Africans will make our education very important. The total transformation of education, in
accordance with human dignity and equality, should also be regarded as important.
The actions that are outlined in the National Development Plan are also taken from the 2014 to 2019 Medium-Term Strategy Framework. It is important therefore to make use of the reports of the Auditor-General, in order to better the performance of our Department of Basic Education.
The oversight visits that are always paid to schools should not be a waste of time and money, but should bring about change to our education. In other words, these oversight visits should be meaningful, so that we better the Department of Basic Education.
Outcome 7, in respect of infrastructure and the national school nutrition programme is very, very important. Proper school infrastructure will always give dignity to the learners and teachers at school. The nutrition programme, in particular, has been helping our children that are coming from poor families. I can just imagine a child going to school with an empty stomach. Such a child cannot concentrate.
The building of modern schools, replacing the mud schools through Asidi should be fast-tracked because most of parents and families of the learners at schools in our rural areas are suffering because the infrastructure is not very good there. So, the infrastructure will always give dignity to both learners and the teaching staff.
Hon Ntshayisa, you must better look to your left, instead of on your page. Your time has expired.
I always look up. We support this report. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, the Department of Basic Education briefed the portfolio committee on its performance against the planned targets of the predetermined objectives in the annual performance plan as well as on its expenditure for the 2018-19 financial year.
The department achieved 85% of its targets, while 13% of its targets were partially achieved, with only 2% not
achieved. This achievement was on an improvement from the 73% of targets achieved in the 2017-18 financial year.
Furthermore, the department spent 98,8% of its budget, however with qualification. The department presented evidence to us on what they are going to do to address the five areas of qualification.
We further requested the department to report quarterly on progress being made in this regard. The department shared with us challenges around the building of schools through Asidi. Twelve schools were recorded as completed in 2017-18, with many more waiting for certificate of completion.
Contractors in the Eastern Cape Province are faced with a myriad of challenges, including cash flow and even liquidation. Hence, they were unable to complete the targets on time. Some schools could not be completed due to unreliable water and electricity supply in areas where they are located.
Other projects sites were stalled by concerned groups of contractors demanding that they be awarded some of these projects. The department is addressing these challenges and we hope for improved delivery of quality schools.
The overreliance of the department on implementing agents is also a problem and this must be attended to, as a matter of urgency.
Let us also take this opportunity to comment on the matter that is on the public discord. The ANC supports this budget report. [Time expired.]
Declarations of vote made on behalf of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, African Christian Democratic Party, African Transformation Movement, African Independent Congress and African National Congress.
Division demanded. The House divided.