The Western Cape’s R33.2-billion education budget for 2025 has drawn sharp criticism from education advocacy groups and opposition parties, who say it fails to adequately tackle longstanding challenges in the province’s schooling system.
Education MEC David Maynier tabled the budget on Monday, 7 April, reflecting a 5.9% increase from the previous year.
Key allocations include:
- R322.3 million for the BackOnTrack programme to improve learning outcomes
- R2.8 billion for school infrastructure development
- R75 million for the Safe Schools Programme
- R622 million for school nutrition to support vulnerable learners
Despite these investments, critics argue that the budget does not go far enough, particularly in addressing the fallout from last year’s staffing cuts and preparing for the rollout of compulsory Grade R under the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill.
Speaking to VOC News, Equal Education (EE) researcher Mahfouz Raffee said the province’s priorities appear misaligned with its education needs.
“The Western Cape government is not spending enough on education to undo the damage caused by last year’s teacher cuts,” said Raffee. “When compared to other provinces, the Western Cape still does not prioritise education as much as it should.”
He also raised concern over the lack of dedicated funding for Grade R, which is now compulsory under the BELA Bill.
“This year’s budget should have included additional allocations for Grade R, but it hasn’t,” Raffee noted. “The national treasury only funds Grade R at 70% of what’s required, leaving provinces to make up the shortfall.”
While welcoming increased investment in infrastructure and school safety, Raffee emphasised the importance of accountability.
“We’re encouraged by the financial and programmatic commitments to improving school safety,” he said. “However, these interventions must be subject to rigorous monitoring and evaluation to ensure they’re truly improving the learning environment.”
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm/Stockfile
