Department of Education

Implementing the Education Priorities for 2004/5 to 2007/8
Submission on the Priorities, Plans and Funding of Education in Gauteng
to the Select Committee on Education and Recreation in the National Council of Provinces
by Ms A Motshekga, MEC for Education, Gauteng
5 October 2005

PART A: Provincial Education Priorities
1. Introduction
The 2005/6 Budget presents major funding problems in relation to the substantial
mandate of the education sector. The province is faced with major education pressures
that begins to shift education into a high-risk zone where education delivery and
performance will become adversely affected.

While the education budget is growing, it is not growing sufficiently to address the
increased service delivery demands as a result of learner growth. In real terms, we are
seeing that the education budget is not growing and as a result we are unable to maintain
current levels of service provision.

2. Summary of Government Thrust
On 21 May 2004 the President of the Republic of South Africa addressed the first joint
sitting of the third democratic parliament of South Africa. In this State of the Nation
address the President outlined in clear an unambiguous terms the marching orders of
government.

Government had committed itself to opening the doors of education for all and to focus on
raising skills levels within the public sector, and ensure its managerial and technological
modernisation, driven by a clear understanding of the developmental tasks of our
democratic state a few months ago. Government is concerned about administered prices
and policies will be announced in October in this regard.

• "We will work to ensure adequate funding of technical and proper alignment of the
courses they offer with the requirements of the economy"
• "The Department of Education will expand the reach of the Adult Basic Education
and Training programme, ABET, aligning it with the training objectives of the EPWP"
• "We will continue to implement other social security initiatives such as the school
nutrition programme and the provision of free basic services"
• "We will during the course of the this financial year, recapitalise all technical colleges
and intermediate training institutions, ensuring that they have the necessary
infrastructure, capacity and programmes relevant to the needs of our economy."
• "By the end of this financial year we will ensure that there is no learner and student
learning under a tree, mud school or any dangerous conditions that expose learners
and teachers to the elements;"
• "By the end of the current financial year we expect all schools to have clean water
and sanitation."

3. The Department’s Five-year Plan in response to GPG 2000 Priorities
3.1 Overall response
PMG note: diagram not included

3.2 Strategies for each priority
PMG note: diagram not included

Part B: Expenditure Patterns and Provincial Allocations
4. Key Drivers in Financing Education

41 Learner Growth
The learner growth in the province is consistently growing at over 2% per annum. This
represents a net increase of over 36 295 learners per year. This net increase is mostly as a
result of migration of learners from other provinces. This year we saw an increase of
2.38% and we are projecting an increase of 2,5 per cent next year.

The graph below shows the actual learner number since 1996 to 2004 and shows the
projected enrolments until 2008. The number of learners in the province in all sectors has
been growing consistently since 1996.

The department experiences a high level of migration at the beginning of each year an
this results in pressure in both learning spaces and resources.

In addition, the province has reduced the dropout rate in secondary phases substantially.
This has resulted in the pressure for learning spaces in secondary schools. While the
dropout rate at grades 10, II and 12 continue to be high they are dropping gradually.

Total number of Learners since 1996
PMG note: diagram no included

The graph below highlights percentage increase in learner numbers over the last eight
years and projections for the next three years.

It should be noted that the trends until 2001 was annual percentage change shows that it
was declining steadily and since 2002 we see a rapid increase in learner numbers. The
major factor impacting on this growth is migration from other provinces. Our current
estimates are that 66 000 learners migrate to Gauteng annually over the December
holidays.

Annual Percentage Increase in Learners
PMG note: diagram not included

The table on the next page highlights the learner number per sector for the last ten years.
The shaded areas show projections for future years or where data is not available.

4.2 Changes in Demographic patterns
The impact of the this growth is further complicated by the high level of migration of
learners into the province annually. These learners appear on the first day of school in
very unpredictable manner in relation to choices in residential areas. While it is possible to
make provisions for a 2 % growth, the actual planning cannot take place because of the
unpredictability of settlement patterns.

Learner enrolments for Gauteng since 1996
PMG note: diagram not included

5. Budget Assumption for 2004/05 MTEF Cycle

5.1 Trends of Education financing in relation to the Provincial Budget
The table below highlights the trends in education funding in Gauteng from the 1999/2000
financial year and includes the 2004/05 MTEF Cycle. The education budget has increase
from R6,3 billion in 1999/2000 to over R10,5 billion in the 2007/08 financial years. The
increases range from 6.6% to over 12%. The increase in the 2004/05 budget in relation to
the 2003/04 Budget is 4,68%.

Source: 2003/4 and 2004/5 Budget Statement

The graph below clearly highlights the decreasing education budget as a percentage of
actual expenditure and estimates. Over the last four years the education budget as a
percentage of the provincial budget decreased from over 37% to around 30%. This is a
decrease of over 7% and this decrease is having a negative impact in the expansion of
services and the maintenance of quality interventions and services.

Education Budget as a percentage of Provincial Budget
PMG note: diagram not included

5.2.3 Real Analysis of the 2004/05 MTEF Budget
The 2004/05 budget in relation to the 2003/04 as a base year decreases substantially.
This is against the background of of increases in learner numbers and inflation. While the
real budget increases from the 2003/04 actual expenditure, in nominal terms, from R9,451
billion to R9,457 Billion. In real terms the buying power of the 2004/05 budget reduces by
5% in real terms.

Real vs Nominal Budget Growth
PMG note: diagram not included

the per capita expenditure in real terms decreases even more than the budget as a result
of the number of learners increasing substantially over the same period.

Per Capita Expenditure and Estimates (System)
PMG note: diagram not included

Part C: Education Programmes aimed at pushing back the
frontiers of Poverty

6. Single Window of Services for Children
The Premier in his address at the opening of the Gauteng Legislature on the 7 June 2004
committed the province to "introduce a new mechanism to realise our vision of Gauteng as
a province "fit for children" in our province; especially orphans; will be able to access a
package of services through a "single window, including the child support grant, school fee
exemption, free health care, school uniforms, school feeding and psycho social support."

The Gauteng Departments of Education, Health and Social Development as the lead
departments for the introduction of a child centre package that built on the services
rendered by the provincial government.

The package of services will include the following components;
• Child support grant
• School fee exemption
• Free health care
• School uniforms
• School feeding and
• Psycho-social support

6.1 Components of the package, legislation and different qualification criteria.
The following is an outline of the package of services, responsible departments and the
legislation and criterion for qualification:

6.1.1 Gauteng Department of Social Development
The GDSD presently provides the following services viz. Child Support Grant; school
uniform, and psychosocial services.

The Child Support Grant is prescribed and regulated by The Social Assistance Act. The
qualifying criterion prescribed in the Act is that children under the age of II years in
respect to year 2004 2005 and will be increased to 14 in years 2005/6 are eligible to the
grant. And further more the household income must not exceed more than Rl 100 per
month.

The School uniform project run by the Gauteng Department of social Development is a
departmental policy.
• Targets all vulnerable children between the ages of 0-18 years who do not obtain
other state support and who resides in the following circumstances

Children in child headed families as identified by communities;
• Children who reside with parents who are terminally ill
• Orphaned and vulnerable children who reside with extended families who are
unable to financially support them. And do not obtain other state support

At present the Department only has the capacity to target 8000 children.

The Gauteng Department Of Social development offers psychosocial support to children as
prescribed in the Child Care Act 1983 of No. 74 of 1983 as amended. The Child Care Act is
the primary statute for the protection of children and young people. This Act determines
the powers of Commissioners of Child Welfare and governs the operation of Children's
Courts. The Act also ensures that if parents are unable to care for children due to abuse,
neglect and ophanhbod, uncontrollability and lack of resources to protect them, then

children can be placed into alternative care such as foster care or residential care.
The Act is to be replaced by new comprehensive childcare legislation. The draft Children's
Bill was submitted to Cabinet during August 2003. The promulgation of the legislation is
uncertain. At the moment 27 000 children receive foster care support.

6.1.2 Gauteng Department of Health
The Free Health care Policy 1994 is a National Department of Health policy, which
provides for Free Health Care to children under the age of 6 years old attending
primary health facilities those over the age of 6 years old and in receipt of a social grant
are free. At present this does not extend to state hospitals but the Dept of Heath is
considering this.

Gauteng Department of Health additionally targets children in the age range of 0 to 6
years and offer the following services:

• Integrated management of childhood illnesses
• Community Based Nutrition programme
• Immunisation programmes
• Growth monitoring and promotion (Road to health chart)
• Exclusive breast-feeding and supplementation
• Screening of obstacles to learning (Grade R)
• Children with chronic illnesses and genetic conditions programmes

6.1.3 Gauteng Department of Education
The Gauteng Department of Education has taken over the school feeding project from
the Department of Health. The Integrated Nutrition Strategy (Draft, January 1998)
determines the policy thrust of the programme

The Primary School Nutrition Programmes currently reaches 310 000 learners at primary
schools up to grade 7. The Department has budgeted for the provision of this programme.

The Department also provides free transport to children who live more than five
kilometres from the school while it mostly applies to poor children but it also attends to
children for a variety of reasons are outside the 5 km perimeter. The Department has
budgeted R40 million for this service.

The Gauteng Department of Education administers the South African Schools Act. 1996
No 84 Of 1996. The Act has a schedule on Exemption from School Fees.
The categories of the exemption from school fees are as follows

Categories for purpose of exemption
3. (1) If annual school fees are determined in terms of section 39 of the Act, the following
categories will be applicable for purposes of exemption of a parent from payment of
such school fees -
a. if the combined annual gross income of the parents is less than ten times the
annual school fees per learner, the parent qualifies for full exemption;
b. if the combined annual gross income of the parents is less than thirty times
but more than ten times the annual school fees per learner, the parent
qualifies for partial exemption; and
c. if the combined annual gross, income of the parents is more than thirty
times the annual school fees per learner, the parent does not qualify for
exemption.

(2) A person who has the responsibility of a parent of a learner placed in a
foster home, foster care or a place of safety is exempted from payment of
any school fees.

As the act stands the exemption is only for children in foster care on in a place of safety
and does not extend to all social grant beneficiaries

6.2 Definition of Target Population.
The eligibility criteria to be used in the targeting will include:
• Children in child headed families;
• Children who reside with parents who are terminally ill
• Orphaned and vulnerable children who reside with extended families who are
unable to financially support them.
• All vulnerable children between the ages of 0-18 years
• Children who are have a permanent address in Gauteng
• Children who attend schools and health facilities in Gauteng

While there are problems with these criteria in that they are open to abuse as the Dept of
Social Development and Education have witnessed when they tried to identify HIV and
Aids orphans during 2003, they still represent the most vulnerable. Many parents
presented their children in such a manner to be eligible for school uniforms and food
programmes. To avoid this as well as possible stigmatization of such children, it is
proposed that eligibility criteria be kept as simple as possible and within the legal
frameworks where such exist. This will ensure that the target constituency of children who
are vulnerable are effectively reached and services.

The basic proposal is not that all targeted children access services from one point but that
all targeted children and their caregivers know and are assisted to easily and in a
bureaucratic free way able to access the services that they are entitled to.

In realising this goal the departments will use a number of media and information
systems. These include:
• An integrated referral and tracking process presently paper based and ultimately
electronic and web based.
• Interdepartmental Service standards prescriptions.
• Interdepartmental Protocol for Service Delivery.
• A service delivery charter for Public Servants.
• Integrated Capacity building with a strong focus on change management.
• Integrated communication and promotions campaign.

7. Conclusion
We believe that the five year programme of the provincial government is geared to make
education key to social and economic transformation and that notwithstanding the
challenges faced in education, we are making great strides in realising a quality education
system that we can all be proud about.