Sadtu has highlighted concerns about education allocation in the Budget presented by the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday. Picture: Independent Newspapers Archives
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) has raised concerns about the funding allocated to the Department of Education in the Budget tabled by the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday, stating that the funding is insufficient.
A few weeks ago Godongwana warned that 19 000 teachers were at risk of losing their jobs in KwaZulu-Natal. However at the time Sadtu questioned the accuracy of this figure.
In a statement on Thursday, the union noted and appreciated the allocation; however, it emphasised that the funding is still not enough to meet the needs of the sector.
“Sadtu notes the allocation of R598.7 billion to learning and culture, with basic education receiving R332.3 billion, as well as the additional R19.1 billion over the medium term to retain approximately 11 000 teachers in classrooms. However, this funding remains insufficient to address the sector’s critical challenges.
"Although the Minister acknowledged that learner-teacher ratios remain higher than desired and that more teachers are still needed, this budget will not be able to employ the hundreds of unemployed teacher graduates or the Grade R educators who have now been absorbed into the system due to Grade R becoming a compulsory school starting age.
"Furthermore, we cannot guarantee that this funding will secure the jobs of existing staff. We doubt that the budget will adequately address infrastructure backlogs in education," it said.
The union welcomed the additional R10 billion allocated over the medium term to increase the subsidy for Early Childhood Development (ECD) from R17 per day per child to R29 and expand access to ECD for approximately 700,000 more children.
“This long-overdue intervention is a step in the right direction, as ECD is essential for laying a solid foundation for learning.
“Sadtu remains committed to quality public education. We believe this will be achieved if the government adequately funds education. In line with Education International’s Go Public, Fund Education campaign, which calls on governments to increase funding for education worldwide, we urge our government to increase funding for education and not maintain the current status quo,” it said.