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Estimates of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) %u2013 2025/26 Financial Yearimperatives such as broadband etc. The department further reconsidered activities funded by equitable share to limit financial risks and in an endeavour to work within the appropriated budget parameters. The appropriated funds prioritise the protection of central services such as adequate provision for school funding norms, which saw the department meeting the recommended national targets at 100 per cent funding rates, the provision for educators through Post Provisioning Norm and intensified focus on protection of non-negotiable policies.1.8 Aligning departmental budgets to achieve government%u2019s prescribed outcomes The 2025 Budget estimates covers the first three years of planning that is linked to the Provincial Medium Term Development Plan (PMTDP) for 2025 %u2013 2030 period. As we usher into the new 7thAdministration term, the National Development Plan (NDP) vision 2030, remains the government plan, and with resources appropriated for the sector, education will continue delivering on the 27 goals as enshrined in Action Plan towards schooling 2030. The Basic Education comprises of ECD school going children aged 0-4 and school education for learners starting from Grade R - 12, forms the bedrock of education. The NDP envisages that each community has a functional school with educators, learning resources and an environment that is safe and conducive for teaching and learning. The department has developed a 2025/26 Annual Performance Plan in line with the Five-Year Strategic Plan that is meant to usher the commitments of the new government term. To achieve these goals, which are also embedded in the PMTDP, the province continues to strengthen integration between different provincial departments, through the Nine integrated government programmes, whilst education remains a key role player in contributing towards ECD and learner attainment areas. Generally, an alignment between both national and provincial sector plans is prevalent, and the resources allocated have been prioritised and geared towards ongoing improvement and actioning of sectorial policies and goals as entrenched in government plans. 2 Review of the current financial year (2024/25) Education has registered several success stories during the period under question, and hereunder is a summary of achievements: 2.1 Key achievements: Curriculum performance and Assessment The class of 2024 represents a crunch period in the learner performance trajectory of the Eastern Cape Province, characterized by extraordinary improvements in average pass, bachelor passes, subjects pass marks, as well as performance by examination centres. This came amid a deliberate Support Learning Programmes offered by the department in 2024 academic year that sought to overcome many learning losses and its challenges, as department was mindful of the profile of its learners for the class of 2024. Therefore, support programmes were informed by in-depts analysis of learner performance and diagnostic analysis. Learners were categorized according to their learning capabilities in various subjects, which then underpinned the provision of differentiated support in an interventionist approach. Curriculum support programmes were organised and implemented under the auspices of Learner Attainment Improvement Strategy and these programmes were done in three phases of %u201cpush and hold%u201d activities; namely, First Push: Identify and remedy during term 1, Second Push: that seeks to 331