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School classroom with tables and chairs.
The Gauteng Department of Education has dismissed claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) of a 64 percent funding cut for Quintile 5 schools, describing them as false, misleading and reckless.
This follows the DA’s launch of a petition to stop the alleged budgetary cuts.
However, Department Spokesperson Steve Mabona says no such cut has occurred but has described it as an interim funding realignment was introduced following National Treasury budget reductions affecting all provinces, which the party is aware of.
Mabona says schools were informed as far back as September last year and that this is a realignment to national standards, not a budget cut.
“The current funding arrangement is a temporary stabilisation intervention designed to keep the system functional and compliant while the Department budgetary constraints. We have a shortage of over R444 million which we need to make sure that we take care of. Despite these constraints we have prioritised classrooms, ensured that teaching and learning continue uninterrupted and honoured its commitments to Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) payments in full and on time.”
