The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) wants to extend its best wishes to all learners, educators and school support staff as the 2023 school year begins.

As learners in our inland provinces begin school tomorrow, 11 January, with our coastal schools opening next week, on 18 January, we urge parents and guardians to remind their children of the value of a good education, and to provide encouragement to those who might be hesitant to return to school to continue with their education.

A new year provides a new opportunity for learners to expand their knowledge and skills, and to invest in their future. We would like to make special mention of those learners in Grade 1 who will be beginning their school career, and those who will be writing Matric: may you be successful in all your endeavours this year!

As the IFP, we would further like to acknowledge the vital role played by our educators and support staff in imparting knowledge, and creating an environment fit for learning. We would like to call on the National Department of Education, as well as all provincial Departments, to ensure that all schools are provided with the necessary equipment and learning materials, and that school facilities and infrastructure are well-maintained and safe for use. This particularly relates to sanitation facilities in our rural schools.

Further, as ever, the IFP will be monitoring the allocation of education budgets and resources to ensure that funds allocated end up where they belong: not lining the pockets of unscrupulous individuals or being written off as fruitless, wasteful, and irregular expenditure. Every cent allocated to education must be invested for the benefit of our learners.

Issued by IFP National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa