Gauteng has received a major boost of R1.5-billion from the National Treasury which will be used to finally put to an end mobile and asbestos schools, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi said during the State of the Province Address (Sopa).
Lesufi, who became premier when his predecessor David Makhura stepped down in October 2022, told guests at his maiden Sopa at the Johannesburg City Hall on Monday evening that 18 new schools will be constructed across the province in the current financial year.
Gauteng matric pupils who obtained a 100% pass in mathematics, business economics and economics also attended the Sopa as esteemed guests of the premier.
Lesufi congratulated the Matric Class of 2022 for achieving an 84.4% pass rate, meaning out of 10 pupils who sat for their matric examination in Gauteng, eight passed. Of the eight, six received a bachelor pass.
“Our province continues to provide quality education for our children. Education is critical for economic development and improving the socio-economic conditions of our people,” Lesufi told a packed city hall.
The premier said 4 000 young people have received bursaries to the value of R360-million outside of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme for the 2023 academic year.
“We are the only province which invests this amount of money in education and youth development,” he noted.
“To give our learners a competitive edge and prepare them for post-matric, we will continue to roll out schools of specialisation. To date, we have 21 schools of specialisation and by the end of this administration, we would have 35 of these schools.”
Lesufi’s administration is benchmarking Gauteng against international countries by participating in international examinations such as Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and Trends in Maths and Science, where the province is ranked 11th. Singapore holds the top spot worldwide.
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