Minister of basic education Siviwe Gwarube recently engaged with deputy minister of transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa to discuss the safety of scholar transport for the nearly 700,000 pupils reliant on these services.
“Hlengwa and I met about scholar transport safety — an issue close to both our hearts. We want to take active steps to ensure they are safe and drivers adhere to road safety rules. We are working on an inter-governmental strategy to achieve this,” Gwarube said.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of significant financial strain in Gauteng, where education MEC Matome Chiloane has warned that budget cuts may threaten essential services, including school nutrition and scholar transport, as the province grapples with a R4.5bn budget reduction.
The repercussions could be severe, potentially affecting more than 3,000 teaching jobs and leading to the non-reappointment of 18,729 contract positions.
Western Cape education MEC David Maynier noted that while all special needs schools would be protected, the majority of affected posts would be concentrated in urban areas.
It is estimated 2,407 posts will be affected across various regions, with significant impacts in areas like the Cape Winelands and Metro Central education districts.
In light of these challenges, Gwarube has called for an urgent meeting with finance minister Enoch Godongwana to protect vital educational services facing cuts.
“These budget pressures are not just numbers on a spreadsheet — they translate into fewer teachers, reduced textbooks and fewer admin support staff,” she stated.
The minister highlighted the ongoing engagement with provincial education departments to navigate this challenging fiscal environment and stabilise the system.
“Nationally, the number of learners within the education system has increased by about 292,820 over the past five years,” without a corresponding increase in teaching staff, she said.
This situation is leading to a steady rise in pupil/teacher ratios, which could ultimately affect the quality of education.
The minister also underscored the economic context, stating, “Our economy has been stagnant for nearly a decade,” with growth rates insufficient to support public services adequately.
She advocated for economic policies that prioritised growth and suggested the government redirect spending priorities to critical sectors like education, health care, and infrastructure development.
Gwarube criticised the financial burden of state-owned enterprises, revealing that R331bn has been spent on bailouts from 2013 to 2023, money that could have supported educational improvements.
“Wasteful expenditure and corruption have further hollowed out state coffers,” she added, noting that between 2014 and 2023, South Africa lost an estimated R1.5tn to corruption.
TimesLIVE
Gwarube scrambling to ensure scholar transport safety amid budget cuts
Image: GCIS
Minister of basic education Siviwe Gwarube recently engaged with deputy minister of transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa to discuss the safety of scholar transport for the nearly 700,000 pupils reliant on these services.
“Hlengwa and I met about scholar transport safety — an issue close to both our hearts. We want to take active steps to ensure they are safe and drivers adhere to road safety rules. We are working on an inter-governmental strategy to achieve this,” Gwarube said.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of significant financial strain in Gauteng, where education MEC Matome Chiloane has warned that budget cuts may threaten essential services, including school nutrition and scholar transport, as the province grapples with a R4.5bn budget reduction.
The repercussions could be severe, potentially affecting more than 3,000 teaching jobs and leading to the non-reappointment of 18,729 contract positions.
Western Cape education MEC David Maynier noted that while all special needs schools would be protected, the majority of affected posts would be concentrated in urban areas.
It is estimated 2,407 posts will be affected across various regions, with significant impacts in areas like the Cape Winelands and Metro Central education districts.
In light of these challenges, Gwarube has called for an urgent meeting with finance minister Enoch Godongwana to protect vital educational services facing cuts.
“These budget pressures are not just numbers on a spreadsheet — they translate into fewer teachers, reduced textbooks and fewer admin support staff,” she stated.
The minister highlighted the ongoing engagement with provincial education departments to navigate this challenging fiscal environment and stabilise the system.
“Nationally, the number of learners within the education system has increased by about 292,820 over the past five years,” without a corresponding increase in teaching staff, she said.
This situation is leading to a steady rise in pupil/teacher ratios, which could ultimately affect the quality of education.
The minister also underscored the economic context, stating, “Our economy has been stagnant for nearly a decade,” with growth rates insufficient to support public services adequately.
She advocated for economic policies that prioritised growth and suggested the government redirect spending priorities to critical sectors like education, health care, and infrastructure development.
Gwarube criticised the financial burden of state-owned enterprises, revealing that R331bn has been spent on bailouts from 2013 to 2023, money that could have supported educational improvements.
“Wasteful expenditure and corruption have further hollowed out state coffers,” she added, noting that between 2014 and 2023, South Africa lost an estimated R1.5tn to corruption.
TimesLIVE
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