The Department of Basic Education has allotted R6.63-billion of its R17.59-billion budget for the 2013/14 financial year to develop and improve school infrastructure.
The funds would be transferred to the provincial education departments through the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG).
Further, the national department, which would increase this amount to in excess of R10-billion over the medium-term expenditure framework, aimed to replace about 200 “inappropriate” schools.
Speaking at the National Assembly, in Cape Town, on Tuesday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said 25% of the “multi-year school projects” would be completed by year-end.
The majority of the schools – 132 – targeted for replacement were in the Eastern Cape, followed by the Free State with 30 schools and the Western Cape with 25.
Three schools each in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo would be replaced, and one each in the Northern Cape and the North West province. Another five schools in Mpumalanga were selected for replacement.
Motshekga said 870 schools would get sanitation, while 448 and 369 schools would receive access to water and electricity respectively.
“More schools received water, sanitation and electrification and many more continued to do so” as 96% of the conditional EIG was spent in 2012/13, she added.
“Improved expenditure on infrastructure budgets, and the number of completed projects in the last financial year, are indicators of progress”.
The department was also finalising a comprehensive infrastructure investment plan and working on partnerships with the departments of Labour and Correctional Services for the supply of school furniture.
“We have developed plans to close once and for all the chapter on potholes and hanging ceilings in the classrooms,” she concluded.