Education unions have welcomed news that the KwaZulu-Natal department has received a R109m incentive. They hope it will be used to improve infrastructure backlogs and sanitation in rural and flood-affected schools.
On Friday, the department announced it had qualified for an additional allocation towards its infrastructure grant, as an incentive for prudent budget management.
“The KwaZulu-Natal department of education, due to its prudent, judicious use of public funds and good financial practice in managing the lion's share of the KZN budget, will receive a performance-based incentive allocation of R109m in the 2022/23 [from] National Treasury,” the department said.
A government department needs to achieve a score of at least 75% to qualify for the additional incentive. The KZN education department obtained 80%.
“In addition, a review of other performance areas, such as current and past expenditure trends, will be taken into consideration for the final allocation. The incentive will form part of the education infrastructure grant and will be confirmed by means of conditional-grant, final-allocation letters.”
The KZN branch of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) welcomed the news.
“We are a province that is largely rural in nature, that is still without proper sanitation and water, and schools damaged by the floods have not been fully repaired,” said its spokesperson Thirona Moodley.
“Naptosa believes this money should be used to upgrade schools, add proper sanitation and water, and repair our dilapidated schools, particularly in the rural areas.”
Nomarashiya Caluza, spokesperson for the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), said the news was encouraging as it showed proper implementation by the infrastructure unit.
“This additional money will give them an opportunity to attend to that backlog. While they continue building, there are also issues of ablution facilities and things that were destroyed by the floods, so that shows they should think hard about where to prioritise that money.
“They will have to look at the most immediate needs: there are schools whose classrooms were destroyed, meaning there are overcrowded classes; there are issues of ablution facilities which go hand in hand with dignity for learners and teachers.”
The province has to submit, by Wednesday, a list of projects to National Treasury and the basic education department, with estimated budgets. These will be funded from the allocation.
TimesLIVE
Unions hope R109m KZN education incentive will address sanitation, infrastructure issues
Image: Darren Stewart
Education unions have welcomed news that the KwaZulu-Natal department has received a R109m incentive. They hope it will be used to improve infrastructure backlogs and sanitation in rural and flood-affected schools.
On Friday, the department announced it had qualified for an additional allocation towards its infrastructure grant, as an incentive for prudent budget management.
“The KwaZulu-Natal department of education, due to its prudent, judicious use of public funds and good financial practice in managing the lion's share of the KZN budget, will receive a performance-based incentive allocation of R109m in the 2022/23 [from] National Treasury,” the department said.
A government department needs to achieve a score of at least 75% to qualify for the additional incentive. The KZN education department obtained 80%.
“In addition, a review of other performance areas, such as current and past expenditure trends, will be taken into consideration for the final allocation. The incentive will form part of the education infrastructure grant and will be confirmed by means of conditional-grant, final-allocation letters.”
The KZN branch of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) welcomed the news.
“We are a province that is largely rural in nature, that is still without proper sanitation and water, and schools damaged by the floods have not been fully repaired,” said its spokesperson Thirona Moodley.
“Naptosa believes this money should be used to upgrade schools, add proper sanitation and water, and repair our dilapidated schools, particularly in the rural areas.”
Nomarashiya Caluza, spokesperson for the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), said the news was encouraging as it showed proper implementation by the infrastructure unit.
“This additional money will give them an opportunity to attend to that backlog. While they continue building, there are also issues of ablution facilities and things that were destroyed by the floods, so that shows they should think hard about where to prioritise that money.
“They will have to look at the most immediate needs: there are schools whose classrooms were destroyed, meaning there are overcrowded classes; there are issues of ablution facilities which go hand in hand with dignity for learners and teachers.”
The province has to submit, by Wednesday, a list of projects to National Treasury and the basic education department, with estimated budgets. These will be funded from the allocation.
TimesLIVE
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