19 Mar 2015

Parliament has been informed that owing to budgetary constraints in the 2014/15 financial year, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development found itself in a situation where it could not appropriate all funds schools required to meet their annual feeding requirements.

Assistant Minister Moiseraela Goya said instead the ministry devised a system of crediting school’s feeding votes on a termly basis. He said the schools were then required to make supplementary budget requests as and when the need arose.

Mr Goya told Parliament on March 18 that the ministry would decentralise funds to schools in the next financial year so that the schools were accountable and responsible for management of their financial affairs.

He said he was not aware that funds allocated to Letlhakane Senior Secondary School were long depleted in June 2014, and that the school struggled to secure supplementary funding causing students to go for a month without food.

Boteti East MP, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe had asked the Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development if he was aware that funds allocated to the said school were long depleted in June 2014 and that the school struggled to secure supplementary funding causing students to go for a month without food.

He also wanted to know what plans were in place to avert situations of lack of funds and food for students in future.  ENDS