3.3 The most recent challenges in the Eastern Cape Education Department have manifested themselves in the following areas: . Over-expenditure of the budget for compensation of employees, because the province failed over a number of years to effectively comply with policies and norms and standards related to Educator Post Provisioning. The problem has placed an enormous strain on the overall budget for education in the province and this has also impacted on the province's overall budget and spending trends; . Failure to provide textbooks and stationery to section 20 schools in the province due to poor management of the procurement process; . Sudden suspension of the scholar transport programme due to over- spending. The situation arose due to poor implementation of policy, . Termination of the School Nutrition Programme (SNP) before the end of the financial year due to non-compliance with policy; poor management of the budget; and poor supply chain management processes, . Failure to effectively implement the school infrastructure development programme. This has resulted in funding earmarked for school infrastructure being returned to the National Treasury.