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President Zuma to assess state of education on visit to Eastern Cape

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:06

President Jacob Zuma will next week visit the Eastern Cape to assess the general state of education in the province, which has been facing a number of challenges; he will be concentrating on "the delivery of quality basic education".

Photo: Mud school

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga explained that the President's assessment is part of the programme to improve the quality of teaching and learning, improve Early Childhood Development, and ensure credible outcomes, focusing on planning and accountability.

During the visit President Zuma will go to several schools in the Amathole District and Buffalo Metro, where he would be accompanied by Cabinet ministers and members of provincial executive council. He will interact with key role players in education and in wrapping up the visit he will take part in a special meeting with the Eastern Cape Executive Council.

Giving an update on department’s intervention on Eastern Cape education, which has faced a number of problems - including amongst others, non-functioning school nutrition programme, lack of transport for pupils and poor management of systems and teachers on the wrong salary scale, Motshekga said progress has been made in some schools in the last three months.

Motshekga had been to the Eastern Cape, where she and Eastern Cape Education MEC Mandla Makhuphula signed a Memorandum of Understanding, setting out the details of the needed intervention: "We will be actively involved in the province. The memorandum sets out the purpose, scope, methodology, monitoring, oversight, communications and duration of the intervention."

Regarding the backlog in the education structure, Motshekga announced that national Treasury has provided funding for Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative to the value of R8.2 billion over the medium term budget framework, starting in 2011/12 financial year to deal with backlogs in education infrastructure.

“An amount of R700 million has been allocated for 2011/12; 60 percent (R420 million in the first year) is allocated to replace mud schools in Eastern Cape and 40 percent (R280 million in the first year) for basic services for all provinces. 500 critical schools have been identified and costed. for provision of sanitation, providing water, and electricity across all provinces. The timeline for the completion of all projects is 31 March 2012.

A BuaNews report edited by the Skills Portal