The Western Cape’s Rapid School Build programme has received a boost after National Treasury allocated an additional R2.5 billion to the scheme.

This is after the provincial government applied for funding through the national Budget Facility for Infrastructure.

The funding comes at a critical time where the province is struggling to meet the demand of families moving here and needing places for their children in schools.

Education MEC David Maynier says the provisional allocation of R2.549 billion over three financial years, is a massive vote of confidence by National Treasury for the Rapid School Build programme.

Learners are already in class in brand new schools and classrooms in Belhar, Kwanokuthula, and Fisherhaven this year as a result of the programme, which is building new schools faster than ever before in poor communities where the demand for placement is the highest.

Maynier says the provisional funding is specifically allocated to building new schools that will expand the number of school places available in the province, in areas that have larger class sizes and a high demand for placement.

The provincial education department competed against other departments and projects across the country for this funding.

Maynier says while this is not the entire amount they applied for, the funding will go a long way to providing certainty and stability over the next three years.

The allocation is provisional, and dependent on further technical work by our department over the coming month. We have been able to demonstrate our ability to effectively spend infrastructure funding, which is crucial factor in receiving the funds.

The Department has been inundated with extremely late applications over the past few years, struggling to place learners at already full schools.

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