300 KZN schools phase in Zulu
The KZN Education Department has identified 300 schools that are expected to introduce Zulu as part of their curriculum.
|||Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department has identified 300 schools that are expected to introduce Zulu in phases as part of their curriculum.
A total of 100 schools would be allocated posts sourced from surplus teachers in the province.
Tabling the department’s R45-billion budget for the 2016-17 financial year on Friday, MEC Peggy Nkonyeni said a circular had been issued to help guide the schools on the use of African languages by all pupils.
“The strategy was piloted in Grade 1 in 2014 in 15 schools that were not offering any previously marginalised indigenous language,” Nkonyeni said.
Although expressing delight with the increase in the department’s budget from R34bn, she was concerned that a huge chunk went towards personnel costs.
“The largest share of the department’s budget allocation goes towards personnel and the department starts the financial year with extreme financial pressures,” she said.
Her comments come almost a month after the Daily News reported that the salaries of teachers and other department staff accounted for more than 84% of the department’s budget, an allocation that squeezed out other vital spending.
The Daily News had quoted Nkonyeni and officials as saying the department was spending 4% more than the national benchmark of 80%.
Nkonyeni said 43 451 pupils in 316 schools would benefit from the R186 million scholar transport.
The school nutrition programme, allocated R1.3bn, would benefit 2 273 395 pupils from 5 277 schools.
“The programme is also working in collaboration with district municipalities in the promotion of locally produced food products through co-operatives and small farmers,” said the MEC.
Nkonyeni said R1.4bn had been allocated to pupil-teacher support. She also announced that R166m had been set aside for early childhood development programmes, with 1 000 pre-Grade R practitioners to be assisted in obtaining qualifications.
“The budget set aside for the Pre-Grade R programme, which includes stipends payable to practitioners, is R38.5m. R12m will be utilised for subsidising stipends in community centres,” she said.
Nkonyeni also said her department would pilot model creches, and 15 creches in Umzinyathi, uThukela and Amajuba districts would form part of the programme, targeting 600 pupils.
Allen Thompson, deputy president of the National Teachers Union, said his union was worried about what he called the insufficient allocation for Grade R practitioners.
“We thought more would be allocated so they could earn at least R10 000 a month in salaries,” Thompson said.
He also said they were concerned with the rural incentives aimed at attracting qualified teachers in rural areas.
“Unfortunately, people no longer intend remaining because the incentive is no longer allocated accordingly,” Thompson said.
The DA’s Mbali Ntuli said her party supported an early childhood development programme on condition there was closer partnership with Social Development. Ntuli said Nkonyeni should urgently re-look at the department’s administration, which continued to grow at being the worst. “Vacancies take forever to be filled, telephones are never answered and help is seldom forthcoming, both to public representatives and the public alike.”
She also called for more adequate allocation of resources to schools.
ANC provincial secretary, Super Zuma, said: “The procurement of tools of trade and human resources and the purchasing of a total of 95 KZN vehicles will further enhance efforts to change things around in KZN.”
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za
Daily News