The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on National Treasury to declare the Departments of Basic and Higher Education as “frontline departments” given the vast quantity of Covid-19 protocols they have to implement for the safety of millions of children and adults at schools and campuses across the country.
Cabinet has advised Treasury to designate certain departments as “frontline” in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. These “frontline” departments, including the Departments of Social Development, Health as well as both Defense and the Police, are to receive additional funding taken from non-frontline departments.
If and when non-frontline departments need to implement measures needed for Covid-19, they should pay for this out of their own funds.
But the criteria used by Cabinet to decide what a “frontline” department actually is are unknown. If it refers to the Departments that are responsible for supporting the vulnerable and the ill, and, of course, enforcing the regulations, there remains a question about the role of education.
Surely our Education Departments are prime amongst those which support and advance the interests of the poor and vulnerable in the millions, and ensure the steady progression of social development and economic growth.
Furthermore, the Education Departments, serving as they do millions of children and adults, have responsibilities to provide vast quantities of expensive Covid-19 protective measures, for long periods of time, as well as IT equipment, data and teaching reform, to enable online engagement throughout the country.
However, the recent R6.7 billion in budget cuts and reallocations announced by the Department of Higher Education and Training, R2.3 billion cuts by the Department of Basic Education and the varying amounts in Education Departments in our nine provinces, will have a severe impact upon learners, students, Universities and TVET Colleges – while SETAs will be hobbled for the rest of 2020 with half the funding they usually receive because of the “Levy Holiday” granted to business.
Millions of children and young people will be affected by these cuts, reallocations and reductions.
These budget cuts and reallocations should immediately be reversed, and the Education Departments should be given assistance rather than be burdened as is currently the case.
To expect these departments to pay for all of their Covid-19 resources out of their own, trimmed budgets is outrageous.
The DA urges National Treasury to do what is right and declare these departments “frontline” status – not only to protect the education of scholars and students, but also to ensure an uninterrupted supply of personal protective equipment to schools and campuses.
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