House Chairperson, the IFP supports this Budget Vote. However, the system continues to show symptoms of an ailing system. Look at the provinces who have failed to spend all of their infrastructural grants. Look at Limpopo, which had to suspend mid-year examinations because of a lack of funding.
I admit that there are many variables for this ailing system. Grade R teachers, for instance, are not adequately trained to teach our children, neither are they adequately paid and, as a result, they lack the enthusiasm to teach our children.
We read, for instance, in the recent report that the graduation rate for first degree graduates stands at 12% this year. This is attributed to poor education at the basic level.
Going back to Grade R teachers, we understand that the average payment for a Grade R teacher is R4 000 per month. This is unacceptable. We therefore urge the department to bring about the standardisation of payment of Grade R teachers because we still have these disparities across the provinces when it comes to the payment of Grade R teachers. We have seen, for instance in KwaZulu-Natal, teachers going to strike because of the plight of Grade R teachers ... Thank you. [Time expired.]