Question NW1923 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
31 August 2020 - NW1923
Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
Whether her department conducted a cost analysis and comparison of the (a) total amount it would cost to prepare all schools thoroughly in dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic by providing all necessary Personal Protective Equipment and other protocols and (b) specified costs against the amount it would cost the department if they equipped all learners for online learning by buying computers and other relevant infrastructure; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(a) No. The Department did not do a cost analysis and comparison. The procurement and provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for schools is a provincial function whose performance lies with Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) and not with the National Department of Basic Education.
(b) The Department of Basic Education has developed a Comprehensive Plan to provide learners and teachers with digitized Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) loaded on ICT devices. Different types of ICT gadgets will be provided to learners and teachers in the Primary as well as Secondary schools across all nine provinces. This included assistive devices for learners living with disabilities. Based on the cost analysis of the current contracts that are available in the market, it will cost the government more than R30 Billion to rollout the project. To promote access, the department is considering providing discounted data bundles to learners to complement connectivity provided using other technologies.