While Eastern Cape residents have called for an increase in funding for more teachers to be hired, finance MEC Mlungisi Mvoko said 49.2% of the total provincial budget was allocated to the department of education.
He said this was 1.2 percentage points more than what the norms and equitable share formula dictated for education.
Mvoko announced this during his 2025/2026 Eastern Cape budget speech in Bhisho on Tuesday.
He said the department was allocated R44.6bn for the 2025/26 financial year and R138.8bn over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF).
“To ensure stability in learning and teaching, the education department, in consultation with the provincial Treasury, has ensured a multiyear declaration of post-provision norms, taking into consideration affordability levels.
“In this regard, an amount of R31.7bn in 2025/26 and R98.7bn over the MTEF has been set aside for the post-provision norms.”
This will see the 52,817 declared educator headcount maintained.
He said R1.8bn had been set aside for the National School Nutrition Programme for 2025/2026.
For scholar transport, an amount of R794m had been set aside.
“This fund is made available through the department of transport to ferry qualifying learners who travel over 5km to their nearest quintile 1 to 3 schools,” Mvoko said.
“It is important to highlight that the department of transport has been requested to promote efficiencies in running this programme, which includes implementation of both an electronic system and a new rate card.”
He said the education sector was tasked with delivering early childhood development (ECD) and learner attainment as the two cluster priorities over the 2025 medium term.
“The ECD sector will be funded and supported by the provincial department of education through an allocation of R1.2bn in 2025/26 and R3.9bn over the MTEF.
“We are also allocating R267.3m in 2025/26 and R838.6m over the MTEF for implementation of the leaner attainment improvement strategy.
“This is the investment that we are putting specifically for curriculum teacher support and learner support programmes to improve matric results. It targets various underperforming districts in the province.”
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.