Hon chairperson and hon members, the UDM fully supports access to tertiary education for deserving under- and postgraduate students who are denied an opportunity because of poverty. It would be difficult to imagine that anyone in this House would disagree with that proposition.
The question is, therefore, not whether it is desirable, but what steps are required to make this happen. This is where the dilemma lies: South Africa is already spending more on education in general than any other line function, except for social assistance and grants. In other words, we would be taking funding from other vital functions if we intend to find funding for these students outside the education budget.
We can honestly ask ourselves whether the money should not come from within the large budget allocated to the two departments of education. Are taxpayers genuinely getting value for their money from the current education budget? The answer is an undeniable no.
Basic literacy and numeracy among South African schoolchildren are far below international standards. Countries that are far poorer and spend significantly less on education still outperform us.
As the UDM has said in its manifesto, we need to return to the basics with our education. Years of fiddling with the curriculum and policies have left the education system in a perilous state. We should be getting far more value from the overall education budget. Clearly, money that could fund deserving under- and postgraduates from disadvantaged circumstances is going to waste.
A word of caution should also be raised with regard to the popular practice in certain circles of blaming the universities and tertiary institutions. These institutions are pressured by government to produce more degrees with less funding to answer the skills shortage in the economy, but at the same time government demands higher enrolment and lower fees. These are two competing demands, which, if not checked can lead to only ... [Time expired.]