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In a briefing today by the Auditor General (AG) to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, it was revealed that six of the eight ANC-run provincial education departments received negative financial audit opinions for 2010/2011. The DA-run Western Cape education department received a clean audit opinion.

The Minister of Basic Education must explain to the Portfolio Committee why these provincial education departments are still struggling to get the basics of financial management right. I will request that the Chairperson calls her before the Committee at the first opportunity.

Poor financial management in education departments has a direct impact on the performance of our schools and the education of our children. It means that money is not going where it should be going – on textbooks, good teachers and new classrooms.

The AG revealed that provincial education departments incurred a total of R5,5 billion in irregular expenditure in 2010/11 - a 344% increase from R1,6 billion in 2009/10. These departments also incurred R172 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in 2010/11, up from R106 million in 2009/10.

Corruption is also rife- 70% of provincial education departments awarded contracts to state officials and their close family members, and 80% of departments were found to be guilty of uncompetitive and unfair procurement processes.

Unless every cent our education budget is spent on improving the quality of teaching, we will never turn our education system around.

We understand this where we govern and take financial management seriously. ANC-run provincial governments need to show that they are committed to putting their learners first by ensuring that those responsible for poor performance are held accountable.

Nothing should be allowed to compromise our children’s future