The Democratic Alliance (DA) is worried that the Mpumalanga Department of Education may not be able to comply with the required Covid-19 protocols and regulations because of a budget shortfall of over R3 billion.
Departmental officials reported to the Finance portfolio committee meeting last week that the Department of Education had a budget pressure of R3.3 billion which might make it impossible to meet some of its responsibilities like providing water and sanitation in schools.
The department acknowledged that they will be unable to provide 149 mobile classrooms to the value of R43 000 000 which was to assist the overcrowding in schools and assist with social distancing of learners.
No upgrades or any additions to schools on sanitation and water will be done in this 2020/2021 financial year as the department does not have the R473 000 000 to implement these projects.
This is extremely worrying especially since more learners have returned to schools this week, and the department has had to make the above cost-cutting decisions, causing the most venerable learners to be left out in the cold.
Another concern to the Democratic Alliance (DA) is that because of the cost-cutting measures, the department will only provide stationary to the learners and no new textbooks or any other Learner Teacher Supply Materials (LTSM) will be bought in this financial year.
The DA has written to Mpumalanga Finance MEC Pat Ngomane to request that he looks at the budget shortfall of the education department urgently, and find ways to ensure that the Department can comply with the Covid-19 protocols within our schools, and that our learners and teachers are protected.