Medium-term budget policy statement emphasises impracticability of Bela – AfriForum
31 October 2024
In response to the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) delivered yesterday by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, AfriForum commented that it once again emphasises the financial impracticability and undesirability of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act 32 of 2024 (the Bela Act).
In the run-up to his delivery of the MTBPS speech, Godongwana mentioned that no supplementary amounts would be allocated for education, as he considers the budget deficits of departments to be a “self-inflicted” crisis. He also referred to previous times when top-up funding had been allocated for education and raised questions about the spending thereof.
According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, this creates serious concerns about the large number of teachers that provinces will have to lay off as the provincial departments will no longer be able to pay their salaries. To date, the Western Cape Education Department has communicated very openly about this crisis, while the other eight provinces in the country are certainly facing the same challenges, but have not yet reported what they intend to do about it to the same extent.
Among the possible solutions would be not to renew the services of teachers on temporary contracts, or to end services such as reading programmes and transportation for pupils.
“These possible budget cuts will cost quality education dearly, and even more so if the Bela Act’s provisions are implemented,” Bailey says. “Fewer teachers mean larger classes and less attention per learner, which will further exacerbate issues such as learners’ inability to read with comprehension. Moreover, if school attendance will be compulsory from Grade R onwards, more teachers and infrastructure will be required, for which there will clearly not be funds in the near future. The cost of Bela will be paid for with the future of our children.”
Bailey believes it is time for the national and provincial education departments’ budgets and spending to be scrutinised even more closely, for officials who are responsible for wasteful expenditure to be held accountable, and for calling an indefinite halt to the implementation of the unfeasible Bela Act.
AfriForum and other members of the Solidarity Movement are currently preparing for a protest march against the Bela Act’s provisions dealing with schools’ admission and language policies. The march will start on Tuesday, 5 November 2024 at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. Members of the public are encouraged to register at www.belaprotes.co.za to participate. Further information about the march is also available at this web page.
Issued by Alana Bailey, Head: Cultural Affairs, AfriForum, 31 October 2024
