Budget constraints feature strongly on day one of Basic Education Lekgotla

JOHANNESBURG - Budget constraints have featured strongly as the Basic Education Lekgotla kicked off in Boksburg on Thursday.

Minister Siviwe Gwarube addressed the opening of the department’s three-day gathering.

She called for partnerships with the private sector to assist the government in alleviating the financial burden.

Teaching and learning have been affected by budget cuts, with the Western Cape province forced to slash posts.

The Schools Act prescribes that the state must fund public schools from public revenue equally to ensure the proper exercise of the rights of learners to education and the redress of past inequalities in education provision.

However, the state’s purse is overstretched, affecting government’s ability to provide quality education for all.

Budget cuts in the education sector disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable communities and Gwarube also said this leads to an average teacher-to-learner ratio to trend upwards, which threatens learning outcomes.

Gwarube emphasised government’s commitment to delivering quality education to all children despite these challenges.