Government is allocating R19.1bn over the medium term to keep 11,000 teachers in class. Additionally, R28.9bn will be added to the health budget, to retain about 9,300 healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics across the country.
This was announced by finance minister Enoch Godongwana, who delivered his budget speech on Wednesday.
"Paying salaries constitute 76% of provincial education budgets. This means that only R24 out of every R100 of their budget is left for funding school infrastructure, meals for learners from poor backgrounds, and stationery and textbooks, amongst others," said Godongwana.
"Our learner-teacher ratios remain higher than we would like, meaning that we still need more teachers in classrooms. To prevent compensation of employees from crowding out other equally important areas of spending, R19.1bn is added over the medium term to keep approximately 11,000 teachers in classrooms.
"The foundation to building the next generation of citizens who contribute economically and socially to this great nation is early childhood development [ECD]. Despite this, the subsidy for ECD has not increased from the 2019 level of R17 per child, per day. To remedy this, an additional R10bn over the medium term is allocated to increase the subsidy to R24 per day per child."
He said the additional funding will "also support increased access to ECD for approximately 700,000 more children, up to the age of four years old".
Godongwana said health's spending would grow from R277bn in 2024/2025 to R329bn in 2027/2028.
"Like in provincial education, a significant portion of the provincial health budget is spent on the salaries and wages. R28.9bn is added to the health budget, mainly to keep about 9,300 healthcare workers in our hospitals and clinics. It will also be used to employ 800 post-community service doctors, and to ensure that our pharmacies do not run out of medicines," he said.
SowetanLIVE
Godongwana allocates more funds to health, education
Image: GCIS
Government is allocating R19.1bn over the medium term to keep 11,000 teachers in class. Additionally, R28.9bn will be added to the health budget, to retain about 9,300 healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics across the country.
This was announced by finance minister Enoch Godongwana, who delivered his budget speech on Wednesday.
"Paying salaries constitute 76% of provincial education budgets. This means that only R24 out of every R100 of their budget is left for funding school infrastructure, meals for learners from poor backgrounds, and stationery and textbooks, amongst others," said Godongwana.
"Our learner-teacher ratios remain higher than we would like, meaning that we still need more teachers in classrooms. To prevent compensation of employees from crowding out other equally important areas of spending, R19.1bn is added over the medium term to keep approximately 11,000 teachers in classrooms.
"The foundation to building the next generation of citizens who contribute economically and socially to this great nation is early childhood development [ECD]. Despite this, the subsidy for ECD has not increased from the 2019 level of R17 per child, per day. To remedy this, an additional R10bn over the medium term is allocated to increase the subsidy to R24 per day per child."
He said the additional funding will "also support increased access to ECD for approximately 700,000 more children, up to the age of four years old".
Godongwana said health's spending would grow from R277bn in 2024/2025 to R329bn in 2027/2028.
"Like in provincial education, a significant portion of the provincial health budget is spent on the salaries and wages. R28.9bn is added to the health budget, mainly to keep about 9,300 healthcare workers in our hospitals and clinics. It will also be used to employ 800 post-community service doctors, and to ensure that our pharmacies do not run out of medicines," he said.
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