Chairperson, hon Minister of Basic Education and Deputy Minister in absentia, hon members, special delegates and our distinguished guests, it is my sincere pleasure to address this august House on the occasion of the debate on the Budget Vote of Basic Education.
At the very outset, I want to remind the Council that the ruling party has designated education as one of the Apex Priorities of the current administration, which runs until 2014. Education and training remains the centre of our social transformation agenda and, correctly so, it is the main preoccupation of the ANC government. As such, education spending remains government's largest spending item.
The ANC's basic policy document, the Freedom Charter of 1955, makes a bold statement about the mandate of a future democratic state to ensure that the doors of learning and culture are open to all. The progressive increase in the Education budget, year after year, is a clear indication of our government's unshakeable commitment to education. The overall budget for the Department of Basic Education has increased drastically. This shows the ANC-led government's commitment in providing education for all.
The Department of Basic Education intends to implement inclusive education at all levels in the system by 2020. By inclusive education, we mean an environment that promotes the full personal, academic and professional development of all learners, irrespective of their race, gender, disability, religion, culture or sexual preference.
We welcome the introduction of the education infrastructure conditional grant. I believe this will assist in the eradication of mud and unsafe schools. As I say that, we must remember that these unsafe and mud schools are not our doing, but something that we inherited. We will ensure that it ends. I remember our parents from a poor background having to pay what we called t?helete ya moago [building funds]. Imali yomakho. [Building funds.]
When some were advantaged, schools were built for them, but in our poor communities parents had to fork out money so that we could have an extra classroom. So, this is not our doing and our department is making sure that we overcome that legacy. Even though we are criticised, we must remember the legacy of Verwoerd, when he said in 1854 that a black person could not go to school, especially girls, but would become good domestic workers and moms. [Interjections.]