1. Provincial Budgets and Expenditure Review: 2003/04 – 2009/10 Chapter 2: Education 17 October 2007

2. Role of Education Key for human development
Major driver for the reduction of poverty
Major influence on sustainable economic growth
Vital for social cohesion
Develops participative and critical citizens

3. Education Landscape
Education spending consistent at around 5,4% of GDP over the review period
Improved Access:
About 12 million learners in the system compared to 8 million in 1985
GER for the Primary phase (Grades 1 – 7) is 103% and 89% for the Secondary phase (Grades 8 – 12)
Grade R enrolment increasing
Impact of No fee schools
Progress in building schools and classrooms
Empty schools and classrooms in certain areas
Backlogs (water, sanitation and electricity) remain
School libraries, laboratories and sports fields – substantial backlogs

4. Improved access (1)
Impact of School Governing Body posts on learner;educator ratios evident in Gauteng (39:1) and W. Cape (37:1)
Low learner:school ratios evident in predominantly rural provinces

5. Improved access (2)
Level of Engineering enrolment are to be expected given the role of this field of study in economic development
Surprised at the low levels of enrolment agriculture and tourism especially in rural provinces given that these are possible growth sectors

6. Provincial Education Expenditure
Given the role that Education plays should one be concerned that it’s share in provinces is declining?
Despite the declining share of Education, Education budgets continue to show real growth.

7. Composition: Provincial Education spending
Personnel expenditure dominant, given that educators are the key inputs in the learning process.
Are we getting value for money? Quality, time on task, effectiveness etc.
Are we doing enough to ensure that we get value for money ? Management of personnel etc.
Do we have the proportional shares in the correct mix, i.e. the impact on learners and teacher support materials, infrastructure, etc.

8. No-fee schools No-fee schools implemented (R3 billion)
To ensure inclusive education by removing fees as a barrier
Schools in the lowest 40 per cent income quintile are deemed to be poor
Funding targets non-personnel non-capital spending

9. Provincial Per Learner Education Spending
Per learner expenditure is rising in real terms at 4.1 % p.a.
KZN, LIM, NW below national average from 2007/08 onwards

10. Provincial per learner NPNC

11. Provincial Education Programmes
Administration’s share dominant: but are the district offices fulfilling the vital role they are meant to play in support and monitoring of education inputs and outputs?
FET Colleges: Is this share sufficient, given the skills deficit?

12. Provincial Per Capita Education Spending: Public Special Schools
Confusing trend in LIM & MP
While per capita allocations in some provinces are high, total allocation for special schools in most provinces lags behind need and demand

13. Provincial Spending: ECD*
Considerable growth since 2003/04
National Treasury

14. Provincial Expenditure Trends (National School Nutrition Programme)

15. Education performance (1)
Relative to inputs, outputs and quality of education remains a concern
While matriculation results are not the only measure, they do provide some sense of quality :
Matriculation pass rate improved from:
below 50% in 1997 to 70,7% in 2004.
declined since then to 68,3 % in 2005 and 66,6% in 2006.
Mainly due to improved nationally set standardised examinations
Number of passes have increased despite drop in pass rate: in 2004 to in 2006

16. Education performance (2)
16,3% obtained university endorsement in 2006 compared to 18,2% in 2004

17. Education performance (3): Mathematics and Science
Growing number of passes in maths and science over time (except for Science SG, decline in 2006), but not enough to provide the pool for new engineers and scientists
Dinaledi Schools aim to increase number of maths and science passes in disadvantaged schools:
Maths HG passes grew from in 2005 to in 2006
Science HG passes grew from in 2005 to in 2006
What else is needed to improve results in these 2 learning areas?

18. Challenges for period ahead
Notwithstanding the progress made a number of challenges and policy questions remain:
Outputs and outcomes are not responding fast enough to growth in spending: matric results remain around 66 per cent.
Enrolments and the number of passes in mathematics and science on the higher grade remain low.
Many schools are still without proper physical structures and basic amenities such as water, sanitation and electricity.
Supply chain management process are not always effective in ensuring that learner support materials are procured and delivered to all schools ahead of the start of the school year.