Question NW1459 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
15 May 2023 - NW1459
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
Considering that around 15 000 learners were left at home unable to attend school for the first term, due to her department failing to provide scholar transport, despite budget provision for such transport, what (a) has she found to be the reasons for the situation, (b) are the consequences of such a gross violation of the human rights of the learners and (c) steps has she taken to address the specified situation?
Reply:
a) Learner Transport Programme is a shared responsibility between the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Transport. The provisioning and prioritisation of learner transport programme is a provincial competency and the National Departments of Basic Education and Transport monitor the provisioning of learner transport programme in provinces. As such, the provisioning of learner transport in the Eastern Cape resides with the Provincial Department of Transport and it is funded through the Equitable Share allocations. Information forthcoming from this department, is that the Province transported 125 331 learners against the total need of 139 823 learners and the target of 102 998 learners in 1009 schools which is 122% against the target and 90% against the total need. The province was allocated R 856 000 000.00 sufficient to transport the targeted 102 998 learners but went over the target by transporting 125 331 which resulted in the over-expenditure totalling R 1 085 045 000.00. Therefore, the additional budget allocation only catered for the accruals and not for the additional learner transport needs.
b) None
c) The Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Transport has been requested to have discussions with their Provincial Treasury to reprioritize budgets and cater for these excluded learners on the provision of learner transport in the province.