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By Lungile Ntimba
Budget cuts to the KwaZulu-Natal education department have had severe ramifications, with Basic Education Portfolio Committee reporting overcrowding and incomplete infrastructure projects.
The committee is on a week-long oversight visit to schools in the Ugu District in the province. It is focusing on the impact of insufficient budget allocation and overcrowding.
The committee has visited the Harding Special School in Harding, the Nomnandi ECD Centre in Izingolweni and Nositha Primary School, which is a farm school, in Bomela.
Committee chair Joy Maimela said the committee heard that many projects were on hold and maintenance was delayed due to the department’s lack of funds.
“This is a concern because we visited a special needs school where the building of new toilets was being delayed indefinitely,” Maimela said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We have also noted serious overcrowding. At one school we heard that the Grade R class has 48 learners and some other grades between 58 and 77 learners per class. It is totally unacceptable. We cannot allow this to continue. We need to find urgent solutions for this.”
While committee members commended the cleanliness and neatness of Harding Special School, they expressed serious concerns regarding the inadequate ablution facilities.
“We indicated to the MEC that budget constraints without any commitment as to when new toilets can be built, is not good enough,” Maimela said.
At Nositha Primary School, the committee applauded the principal’s commitment to enhancing the school’s standards. However, members were shocked to discover that there were 48 learners in a Grade R class and 77 in a Grade 7 class.
“The education of the black child cannot be neglected like this. This is unacceptable,” Maimela said.
She said that committee was focusing on the provision of resources for rural and special needs schools, user-friendly infrastructure, and preparing learners for post-school education or entry to workplace-based learning programmes.
It was also assessing social cohesion, including the gender-based violence framework, safety in schools, and getting learners ready participate in school sports.
Members would also check on scholar transport and the National School Nutrition Programme.
Maimela said the committee planned to engage with stakeholders, including the provincial education department, national Basic Education Department, unions, SA Principals’ Association, School Governing Bodies and traditional leaders to discuss its findings and determine a way forward.
INSIDE EDUCATION