Gwarube attributes DBE funding woes to above-inflation increases in public sector wages

JOHANNESBURG - Increasing of public sector wages above the inflation rate has been cited as one of the reasons behind the Department of Basic Education (DBE)'s funding crisis.

Provincial Education Departments countrywide have seen their budgets either cut or remain the same.

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This has led to many having to release contracted teachers and being unable to fill the growing vacancy lists for educators.

The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has detailed some of the issues that have caused this.

"Over the past 15 years, our public sector salary increases have consistently outpaced inflation, with some years seeing an increase as high as 8% to 10%. 

“While we must always make sure we fairly compensate our public servants, these above-inflation increases have rendered the public wage bill completely unaffordable."

According to the DBE, the government needs to re-align its spending priorities towards sectors that have greater impact on the country.

Over the past couple of years, the National Treasury has implemented cost-cutting measures across all government departments.

This has led to severe consequences for the DBE – which has resorted to releasing contracted teachers and freezing new appointments.

Gwarube further said her department was critical and could not afford budgetary cuts.

“Moreover - our spending priorities need re-alignment in government. Between 2013 and 2023, the government spent R331 billion bailing out State-owned enterprises. This figure is staggering especially considering the opportunity cost because we could have funded our education sector, our healthcare sector and infrastructure.”