Guest; Democratic Alliance Gauteng shadow MEC for education- Michael Waters

DA accuses department of denying the cut with semantics, while confirming reduced allocations in the legislature. Government schools in “wealthier” areas of Gauteng face slashing cuts to their operational budget from 1 April – the Gauteng government says this is a “realignment” or “stabilisation” because of national budgetary pressures.

The Gauteng department of education (GDE) has denied arrangement amounts to cuts in funding at quintile 5, or former model C public schools, by 64%, pushing back against claims by the DA and insisting the changes amount to a funding realignment driven by national budget pressures.

However, replies provided by the department to questions in the Gauteng legislature, together with official budget allocation tables, show quintile 5 schools are being moved from their funding levels directly to the national minimum funding threshold, resulting in reduced allocations from 1 April.