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Estimates of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) %u2013 2025/26 Financial Yearprovince in line with the Reading Strategy, coupled with curriculum delivery of training for Pre-Grade R practitioners who do not have sufficient capacity. Additionally, the training of ECD practitioners was prioritised, with a total of one thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven (1 977) practitioners having been capacitated on the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), an initiative that aims to enhance the quality of early learning and ensure alignment with national standards. Further to this, a total of 360 ECD practitioners were successfully trained and conferred with National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 during the year, including an additional cohort that was carried over from the previous year. In an effort to strengthen the Pre-Grade R class and prepare pupils to be ready for formal schooling, the department increased the number of 4 %u2013 5-year-olds registered for Grade RR from 18 583 in 2023 to 24 479 as at the end of the 2024 academic year. School Rationalisation and Realignment Programme (SRRP) identified and successfully closed one hundred and twelve (112) schools that are below the permissible enrolment norm of 50 learners in primary schools and in public secondary schools. This coupled with one hundred and nine (109) schools that have been aligned during the year under review. Most schools closed are evident in Alfred Nzo West region with thirty-three (33), where nineteen (19) of these schools benefited from scholar transport programme, whilst 4 of these schools (Ntabeni, Zibi Meyer, Pontseng, and Sihlahleni) were incorporated into the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI). Other significant closures were identified in Chris Hani West and Joe Gqabi regions. Norms and Standards for school funding have been provided on par to the national prescribed norm per learner rate across all quintile levels, which meant that all learners benefiting in the %u201cNo Fee School Policy%u201d in public ordinary schools have access to adequate resources, including the required levels of teaching and learning material, amongst other things. So, the funding subsidy baseline (transfers and goods and services) for eligible schools stood exactly at 100 per cent per learner to schools ranked in quintiles 1 %u2013 3; and for quintile 4 and 5 respectively. To support learning, the department ensured the distribution of essential Learning Teacher Support Material (LTSM), including textbooks, scholastic stationery, workbooks, and multimedia resources to all deserving schools in line with management plan. Graded readers were also distributed to foster literacy development. The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is implemented through a decentralised model and the programme primarily provides nutritious school feeding to enhance learning capacity to all learners registered in public ordinary and targeted special schools from impoverished communities, mostly covering quintiles 1 to 3 schools. A total number of 1 601 758 learners in 4 962 public schools have been fed every school day during the period under question, which is lower than the targeted1 603 246 learner number to benefit from nutritious meals. This decline in learner data is traced from the South African Administration Management System (SASAMS) database showing fall in numbers, which is predominantly ascribed to the impact of learner drop-outs, coupled with learner migration. NSNP had successfully introduced the breakfast feeding programme to primary schools and further extended to include all secondary learners in combined schools. This meal is supplementary to the usual %u201cone meal per day%u201d that was previously served from the programme, and has successfully benefitted over 1 578 439 learners, though 15 913 lower that the target of 1 594 352 learner participants in 4 764 public schools. By virtue of existing feeding programme, 12 392 job opportunities were created for unemployed parents of learners in their respective communities at a stipend of R1.805 per month. These parents are appointed as Volunteer Food Handlers (VFH%u2019s) on a contractual basis (24 months) to prepare and serve meals to learners in all qualifying schools.Information Communication Technology (ICT) Broadband and Wi-Fi installation, Eastern Cape Education Department is committed to enhancing digital learning by rolling out the broadband connectivity across schools in the province. This initiative is designed to bridge the digital 333