Hon House Chair, hon Minister, and Deputy Minister, hon members and fellow South Africans, I greet you all, the NFP welcomes and supports the Budget Report on Basic Education. [Applause.] The NFP supports the 7,8% budget increase. We also support the sector planning priorities in support of improved reading and learning outcomes through the early childhood development, ECD function shift; early grade reading; ICT in education; assessments; violence on social cohesion in schools and the Sanitation Appropriate for Education, Safe, initiative.
Hon House Chair, our primary and secondary education institutions are in need of constant attention, improvement and
innovative developments. However, the increase of violence within our schools it's a serious cause for concern. House Chair, we have seen on social media platforms the gruesome attacks involving both learners on learners and learners on educators. We have to admit that our schools have become places of violence and educators together with students do not feel safe anymore.
Schools situated in impoverished areas suffer from poor school infrastructure, placing educators and learners' lives in danger. We, as the NFP, note the project plans for practical completion of 15 inappropriate schools and 41 sanitation projects by September 2019 and we support these initiatives. We note that the Minister reminded members that in respect of the infrastructure grant, the monies were transferred directly to provincial education departments, PEDs. The NFP supports the Minister in seeking new necessary resources to carry out some of the functions required.
We need to look into the overcrowding of classrooms. Till this day, we have one educator with the responsibility of teaching 40
to 60 students in a classroom. Subjects such as mathematics and physical science which require special attention which educators are unable to give these students. Hon House Chair, the reality is that we have brilliant students with special gifts, but it will not be discovered due to this issue.
In respect of the National School Nutrition Programme, the struggle for environmental justice to address shortage of nutritious food to feed needy learners remains valid and school nutrition programmes, if managed properly, can make a crucial contribution in this regard.
IsiZulu:
Ikakhulukazi kubantwana abasuka emakhaya abanye basizakala kakhulu ngokudla okutholakala ezikoleni ngoba kunamakhaya la osuke uqonda khona ukuthi umfundi uzofika ekhaya alale angadlile. Sifisa ukuncoma nokuwubonga uMnyango ngalolu hlelo oluhle abalwenzela izwe lakithi eNingizimu Afrika. [Kwaphela isikhathi.]