The Basic Education Department Budget for the 2023/24 financial year was delivered by the Honourable Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. The budget was presented at the National Assembly in Cape Town.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) was allocated R31.8 billion which is an increase of 7% from last year’s overall allocation. Administration was allocated R538.8 million for this financial year.
Curriculum Policy Support and Monitoring was provided with a budget of R3.526 billion. The Teacher Education Human Resource and Institutional Development was allocated R1.508 billion.
Planning Information and Assessment was given a budget of R16.616 billion. Educational Enrichment Services was provided with a R9.594 billion budget.
Conditional grants were also provided with an overall allocation of R25.329 billion. This is an increase of 9.5% from last year’s budget.
The specific allocations for Conditional Grants are as follows:
- Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) Grant - R433.1 million
- Infrastructure delivery - R13.9 billion
- Accelerated School Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASIDI) - R2.1 billion (which includes the Sanitation Appropriate for Education Initiative allocation).
- HIV and AIDS - R241.7 million
- National School Nutrition Programme - R9.279 billion
- Learners with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities (LSPID) Grant - R260.4 million
The overall allocation for Earmarked Funds and Transfer Payments is R3.1 billion. This increased by 6.3% since last year.
The specific allocations for these funds are as follows:
- Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme - R1.334 billion
- Umalusi - R162.9 million
- National Senior Certificate Learner Retention Programme - R58.1 million
- National Education Collaboration Trust - R121.5 million
- Workbooks - R1.184 billion (this increases to R1.205 billion when the Compensation of Employees allocation is included).
- South African Council of Educators - R15.6 million
- Presidential Employment Stimulus - R6.9 billion
- Information Communications Technologies - R14.4 million
- Early Childhood Development - R200 million.
