School violence addressed
May 07 2008 02:07:58:700PM  - (SA)  
Jabulani Dlamini

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This represents an increase of 15,9% from the previous financial year when they received just over R5 billion. For the 2009-’10 financial year they will see this increasing to R7 169 708 000 and to R7 748 108 in the 2010-’11 year which amounts to an 8,7% and 8,1% increase respectively.

The biggest chunk of the department’s spending is towards public schools which take up three thirds of the budget at 74%.

While the delivery of the actual speech can be mundane it is the various responses to the speech that is interesting.

Khotso Sesele, chairperson of the Free State Legislature’s portfolio committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, highlighted several examples of alleged corruption and perceived nepotism by the department’s employees.

He mentioned a few examples of these and also mentioned that the situation seemed to be particularly worse in the districts, far from the close scrutiny of the department’s senior management.

In his response, Education MEC Modise Mokitlane said most of these were receiving attention and some had already been resolved.

Quizzed about the seemingly increasing incidences of violence in schools Mokitlane said they had a non-violence strategy which they planned to implement.

“Education is a societal responsibility and violence in schools is a reflection of our society and school violence stems from problems in the society,” he said.

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