The government of National Unity (GNU) has again been thrust into the spotlight after the Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, bemoaned SA’s education system, saying it was in crisis.
Gwarube, who is in the position having been deployed by the second biggest party in the GNU, the DA, was addressing the dire financial situation facing SA’s education system in a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday.
Recently a controversy flared up over planned teacher cuts because of budget shortfalls.
She said the sector was under immense pressure due to years of aggressive budget cuts, economic stagnation, and fiscal mismanagement, which could be seen as an attack on the ANC, who held power for 30 years.
The Western Cape has already reduced teaching posts for 2025, potentially leading to larger class sizes and reduced individual attention for learners.
Other provinces face similar challenges, struggling to fund essential services like textbooks, admin support, and scholar transport programs.
Gwarube intimated that the crisis affected not only learners but also teachers, principals, and broader communities.
Every province is grappling with painful budget decisions. Provincial education departments will struggle to fund existing posts and programmes within the next two to three years unless proactive measures are taken, according to Gwarube.
She said SA’s stagnant economy has contributed to the crisis and that the government’s spending priorities needed realignment, as R331 billion was spent on bailing out under performing state-owned enterprises between 2013 and 2023 which could have been directed to critical sectors like education.
Gwarube has convened emergency meetings with education MECs and requested urgent discussions with the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana.
The goal is to unlock additional funds, prevent further cuts to teaching posts, and protect critical support services.
She said to address the crisis, the government needed to allocate a larger share of the national budget to education, upskill teachers to educate in a rapidly changing world, embrace digital tools and internet access and invest in safe and suitable infrastructure.
“The education system is the bedrock of SA’s future. Decisive action and commitment to prioritising education are crucial to overcoming these challenges,” she said.
“I called this press briefing today to confront a harsh reality because our education system is under immense pressure… It is no secret that in recent weeks, several provincial departments of education have been vocal regarding budget pressures they face.
“These pressures have been years in the making because of aggressive budget cuts, economic stagnation and fiscal mismanagement across government which is now set to impact schools…The very fabric of our children’s future is under threat,” she said.
She added that the budget cuts were a national crisis.
“We have committed ourselves to doing everything we can to stabilise the system and have appealed to provinces to retain the basket of posts, in order to not compromise education outcomes.
“It is crucial to understand that this crisis is not confined to one province or one aspect of the education sector. Every province is grappling with these painful choices. Provincial education departments will in the next two-three years find it increasingly difficult to fund their existing basket of posts and existing programmes within the available budget, unless measures are taken proactively to mitigate this risk,” she said.
Gwarube added that the number of learners within the education system has increased by approximately 292 820 over the last five years.
Most provincial education departments require R350 million to R3.8 billion.
“The numbers are staggering. If we continue down this path, projections indicate that most provincial education departments will not be able to maintain their respective basket of posts,” she said.
Gwarube took a swipe at its coalition partner, the ANC for having mismanaged the department in the past.
“To fully grasp why we are here and more importantly how we got here, we must look back and acknowledge that as a government, we have not made the right choices at the right time which has brought us to this point… First and foremost, our economy has been stagnant for nearly a decade. Growth rates have remained below 1% in real terms, which is far below what is needed to generate sufficient tax revenue to fund our public services, including education. Without a growing economy, government revenues shrink, and when revenues shrink, so do our budgets,” she said.
The Star