The proposed increase in budget allocations for the education and health sectors have been hailed as a step in the right direction to address infrastructure challenges, hiring of more teachers and prioritising early childhood development (ECD) but falls short in some areas.
Treasury had proposed in the draft budget which was set to be tabled in parliament on Wednesday but was postponed due to disagreements among government of national unity members on increasing VAT by two percentage points to 17%, that education's budget should be increased.
This would be the first increase in more than five years.
Analysts and activists applauded the focus on expanding ECD services, which was allocated R10bn.
This would mean the daily subsidy per child would go up from R17 to R24 and allow 700,000 more children under four years old to access ECD programmes.
The speech was postponed to March 12.
Education expert Mary Metcalfe said the increase to the child subsidy was long overdue.
I think at the end of the day, the budget is more positive for the poor over the long run when you look at everything together.
— Russell Rensburg
“The increase in resources to keep more teachers in classrooms is clearly to be welcomed and in terms of the intention to increase the subsidy amount per child, this is long overdue and is welcome. It will make a big difference to the sector,” she said.
She said the increase meant more registered centres are eligible to receive the grant.
“I am particularly pleased with the increase in the conditional grant, which is a special grant from national to each province. I am especially pleased if this reduces the extent to which the provincial equitable share is being used for early childhood education development centres because the provincial equitable share has to focus on the constitutional right of children to a basic education from grade R to grade 9,” she said.
Equal Education head of research, Mahfouz Raffee, said the budget falls short in providing concrete solutions to the crisis of education inequality and youth unemployment.
"Most concerning is the apparent lack of funding to implement the Bela [Basic Education Laws Amendment] Act, which has made grade R compulsory. Currently, grade R is funded at just 70% of its requirement, and provinces have reported needing approximately R45bn in additional funds over the next three years to implement Bela.
"While nominal spending on basic education is expected to grow by R61bn in the next three years, R29bn is earmarked for ECD, and to cover public sector wage increases. Even without accounting for inflation-related cost increases on other spending items, it is clear that this budget is woefully insufficient to meet its obligations to protect learners’ rights to basic education," said Raffee.
The health sector would receive R28.9bn, primarily to retain 9,300 healthcare workers in hospitals and employ 800 post-community service doctors.
Rural Health Advocacy project director Russell Rensburg said they haven't seen a real growth in the health budget since 2012.
"This [increase] is a massive relief. It's unprecedented.
"We've doubled what we normally spend on the healthcare sector, so I think that, overall, Treasury is trying to find a middle ground. And I think at the end of the day, the budget is more positive for the poor over the long run when you look at everything together. Because we don't have the option of medical aid," he said.
SowetanLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.