By Johnathan Paoli
Despite budget constraints, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement has made additional money available to the education departments, with much of it focusing on infrastructure development.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has committed to addressing critical infrastructure concerns in the sector, including student housing.
He announced on Wednesday that the government was making a concerted effort to increase the pool of funders to diversify public infrastructure financing through new mechanisms and instruments.
This would include building student housing at six higher education institutions across the country.
Higher Education and Training minister Nobuhle Nkabane said on Thursday that the investment was important as it not only provided students with a physical space to reside, but also fostered a conducive environment for academic achievement.
“This allocation demonstrates a forward-looking approach from the National Treasury,” she said.
Nkabane further reassured students and educational institutions that her department was actively collaborating with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to streamline the accommodation accreditation process.
This partnership aims to ensure that no student is excluded from accessing necessary housing support due to bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The minister acknowledged the broader economic challenges facing the nation, but expressed confidence that through these strategic investments, there would be sustained improvements in essential areas, including infrastructure development and student support services.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube highlighted the overall allocations made toward the education sector in the MTBPS, which included a total of R376 million aimed at improving and maintaining educational infrastructure.
The announced adjustments make R20 million available for the provision of workbooks, while R35 million will address the sector’s pressing school infrastructure needs.
In addition, the minister has allocated around R251 million for the Rapid School Building Programme in the Western Cape, which aims to build more accessible and resilient spaces for learning and play, using rapidly scalable construction methods tailored to the needs of local communities.
The minister said the funding would allow for the continued building of new schools and expanding the number of school places available in areas with larger class sizes and a high demand for placement.
An additional R70 million has also been made available to repair school infrastructure damaged by floods.
“While the allocations represent steps in the right direction, the budget pressures faced by provincial education departments continue to pose a significant threat to the delivery of quality education. These pressures have been years in the making due to progressive budget cuts, economic stagnation, and fiscal mismanagement across government,” Gwarube said in a statement.
She said that ultimately education was the foundation of a thriving economy, equipping young people with the skills necessary to become qualified and ultimately contribute to the economy.
“It must, therefore, feature as a critical area of intervention in the coming 2025/26 budget allocations by the National Treasury.”
The minister said in the lead-up to the 20025/26 budget, her department would continue to engage Godongwana on the budget pressures in basic education.
INSIDE EDUCATION
