Minister Gwarube asks provincial Education MECs to submit recovery plans amid sector's financial challenges
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says the education sector is facing severe financial strain due to a decade of chronic underinvestment by the national government among other factors.
Image: Supplied / Department of Basic Education
Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education, has instructed all MECs and Heads of provincial Education Departments to submit comprehensive plans aimed at safeguarding the delivery of quality education to pupils across the country.
The plans will also address irregularities in school personnel management.
The Mercury reported yesterday on the concerns raised by the labour union about the challenges faced by the department that are impacting the well-being of teachers.
The challenges include severe staff shortages that have burdened other teachers with extra work.
In a statement, the department said it is the priority of the minister to ensure quality education.
“Shortly after assuming office, the Minister initiated an unprecedented financial review of all nine provinces at the end of 2024. The analysis revealed that the education sector is facing severe financial strain due to a decade of chronic underinvestment by the national government, repeated redirection of public funds to bail out struggling state-owned enterprises, and poor financial management at the provincial government level," said the statement,
it added that since then, the Minister has maintained rigorous oversight of the sector's financial health, directing all provincial Education Departments to work closely with their respective Provincial Treasuries to develop actionable financial recovery plans.
These plans must uphold the constitutional right of every learner to quality education while also restoring fiscal stability within the sector. The completed recovery plans must be submitted to the Department of Basic Education ahead of the next Council of Education Ministers (CEM) meeting, scheduled for 21 July 2025, it said.
Furthermore, Minister Gwarube has instructed all MECs and Heads of Department to fully account for their performance in key service delivery areas, including:
Furthermore, Minister Gwarube has instructed all MECs and Heads of Department to fully account for their performance in key service delivery areas, including:
- The timely disbursement of statutory school payments, including school allocations.
- The restoration or continuity of basic services at affected public schools, such as electricity, water, security, learner transport, and the National School Nutrition Programme.
- The appointment of educators and managers to funded vacancies in public schools.
- The identification and removal of ghost employees from provincial payroll systems.
"The Department of Basic Education will use these plans to safeguard teaching and learning." it concluded.