Western Cape’s R33.259 billion education budget met with rejection over inequality concerns

Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier has announced a record R33.259 billion budget for the 2024/25 financial year — the largest departmental budget in the province — with a strong focus on improving learning outcomes, expanding access to education, and supporting vulnerable learners.

“We are stepping up to tackle the most pressing challenges faced in education,” said Maynier. 

A key part of this year’s budget is the R322.3 million investment in the #BackOnTrack programme.

According to Maynier, “A recent evaluation showed that children gained up to 205 days' worth of learning, catching up nearly a full year’s progress.”

 In 2024, over 15,000 learners in Grades 4 and 7 and 8,000 matriculants will receive additional support through weekend classes and revision camps.

He said teachers will also benefit, with 2,483 educators receiving professional development through in-person training sessions focused on core subjects like Mathematics and Languages.

To assist youth employment, R113.5 million has been allocated to fund over 4,300 school assistants through the Basic Education Employment Initiative, providing roles such as Reading Champions, curriculum and eLearning support, and maintenance staff.

With demand for school placements continuing to surge, the department will invest R2.862 billion in school infrastructure, aiming to fast-track the construction of 29 new schools over the next three years.

“Our Rapid School Build programme has already delivered 15 new schools in high-demand areas,” Maynier said.

Maynier also highlighted efforts to support learners with special needs, including R75 million for learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder and R73.9 million for Learners with Profound Intellectual Disabilities. 

This will help fund 25 new classrooms at special needs schools across the province.

Safety and sustainability are also key priorities, with R75 million set aside for the Safe Schools Programme, which includes 82 law enforcement School Resource Officers and a toll-free reporting hotline. 

A further R70 million will be used to improve school energy infrastructure, including solar PV systems at 40 schools and LED lighting upgrades at 70 no-fee schools.

In an effort to reduce inequality, the department will spend R622 million on school meals, R674 million on learner transport, and R296.9 million to support additional no-fee schools.

“We’ve prioritised funding to protect critical learner support and haven't made cuts in these areas,” Maynier assured.

Additional highlights include:

-R23.7 billion allocated for teacher salaries and staff compensation

-R845.9 million to expand access to Grade R.

-R1.328 billion for maintaining and upgrading existing schools

Despite financial constraints and growing demand, Maynier expressed pride in the resilience of education staff across the province.

“Our teachers, principals, and officials are the everyday heroes. They continue to deliver under enormous pressure.”

Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Legislature, Khalid Sayed, however delivered a scathing critique of the R33.2 billion provincial education budget, accusing the provincial government of deepening inequality and failing the province’s most vulnerable learners.

“Education should be a bridge between poverty and opportunity, but under this government, it is becoming a divide,” said Sayed.

He argued that while elite schools flourish, working-class communities face overcrowded classrooms, underpaid teachers, and long, unsafe commutes.

Sayed highlighted that the Western Cape Department of Education underspent by R829 million and returned R36.5 billion in grant allocations over the last administration. 

He also questioned the department's role in a R1.2 billion IT tender scandal, demanding transparency and cooperation with a potential Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe.

“The numbers don’t lie,” he said. “You cannot deliver quality education without teachers—yet over 2,400 teaching posts are being cut, mainly in poor communities.”

While commending national programmes like the Basic Education Employment Initiative, Sayed rejected the provincial budget outright.

“This budget protects bureaucracy, not children,” he said. 

“We reject it—not out of politics, but out of principle. The people deserve one education system, not one for the rich and another for the poor.”

The Education Union of South Africa (EUSA) has also slammed the budget for worsening inequality in the schooling system, especially for students in poorer areas.

Eusa chairperson Andrè De Bruyn said the budget fails to address chronic issues like overcrowded classrooms and under-resourced schools. 

“Instead of easing the pressure, it proposes cutting 2,407 teaching posts, with only 27 cuts from affluent areas, further burdening already overworked educators in underprivileged schools.”

This has led to what critics, including De Bruyn, call a “gutter education” system.

He said despite receiving the largest share of the provincial budget, the WCED has not presented a clear plan to reduce overcrowding, improve school safety, or deploy educators where they are needed most. 

“The Education Union of South Africa (EUSA) rejects the budget.”

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

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