The Department of Basic Education (DBE) revealed in a Portfolio Committee meeting today that it has yet again failed to meet every single one of its Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) targets.
The DBE confirmed in the meeting that:
- Out of a targeted 115 schools, only 22 were built (19.1% achieved);
- Out of 257 schools that needed to be provided with sanitation, only 45 were connected (17.5% achieved);
- Out of 344 that were to be provided with water, only 70 were connected (20.3% achieved); and
- Out of 134 that were to be provided with electricity, only 66 were connected (49.2% achieved. The DBE, however, said the remaining 68 schools did receive electricity, but through other programmes)
The DBE attributed its poor performance to underperforming Implementing Agents and a lack of consequence management. They also said construction delays were to blame for these appalling results.
In the previous year, the DBE failed to connect a single school to electricity out of a total of 620. Therefore, not only did the department fail to meet this year’s targets, but plans that should have been put in place have clearly also failed.
Poor school infrastructure contributes to unsafe schools and it is unfair that, after 24 years of democracy, many children across the country are forced to learn in dilapidated and incomplete schools.
It is therefore high time that Minister Angie Motshekga and President Cyril Ramaphosa heed the call by the DA to ensure safety at schools through our #SafeSchools campaign.
By missing these targets, the ANC has proved once more that it does not care about our children’s education.
Depriving children of a safe and conducive learning environment only sets them up for failure and compromising their ability to find work when they are grown. That is why the governing party will ultimately be responsible for destroying the future of children.