MEC for Finance Barbara Creecy has urged Alex residents to fight for a heftier share of the education budget to address overcrowding in the township’s schools.
Creecy was speaking at the Sankopano Community Centre where residents and Department of Education officials had gathered to discuss educational issues.
The township currently has 13 primary and five secondary schools said to be inadequate for the number of children living in the area.
“Education is allocated the largest budget, and 20 to 25 schools are prioritised for support annually, and you need to fight for some to be prioritised for your area,” she said. The budget, she added, was for teachers’ salaries, pupils and teachers’ support material, and for infrastructure development, repairs and maintenance.
Creecy said the need for more schools and infrastructure support was a global phenomenon in all cities due to the migration of people seeking better life opportunities in urban areas. “It’s not unique to Alex due to the migration pull of Joburg from more rural provinces and the southern African region. There will forever be a demand and backlog for more infrastructure development which will be difficult to fulfil and those affected should fight for it,” she said.
She added that about 500 000 children migrated with their families to the province annually, with Alex bearing the brunt of this migration.
Creecy concluded by committing to help the community present this challenge to the provincial government.
