These factors will affect your child’s education in 2025 | Boksburg Advertiser

Busy schedules, extra mural activities and ensuring that your child has a healthy balanced lunchbox, may be the least of your concerns for the 2025 academic year.

This is according to Arno Jansen van Vuuren, managing director at Futurewise, an education insurance provider.

“Governmental changes and budget cuts could hurt your child’s education,” he said.

“The current broader macro-economic landscape has the potential to impact our children’s education and ultimately, their futures.”

With its purpose rooted in ensuring equitable access to education, Jansen van Vuuren rounds up three significant events that will affect schools country-wide.

“The intention is not to be fear mongers, but rather to understand the real-life effects of what is happening around us because forewarned is forearmed. With greater awareness, we are empowered to understand what it all means for us and what is within our control.”

Big budget cuts

The Department of Basic Education recently warned that consolidated budget pressures to the tune of between R78b to R118b across the nine provinces were setting the scene for brutal budget cuts.

These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet as Minister Siviwe Gwarube explained it translates to fewer teachers, fewer textbooks and fewer administrative support staff.

“This means teachers will spend more time staying up to date with admin work, thereby reducing learning and teaching time,” said Gwarube during a media briefing.

“These cuts will further affect the recruitment and retention of teachers, which could lead to classrooms becoming increasingly under-resourced and overcrowded.”

Certain regional departments have indicated that they will cut funding to other critical programmes such as school transportation to maintain teaching posts.

“There is, however, hope on the horizon with the department realising the catastrophe these cuts present, especially for schools in rural or poverty-stricken areas,” said Jansen van Vuuren.

“It is currently lobbying for increased investment and other measures to help provinces address its financial pressures.”

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The Bela Bill

The aim of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill, which was signed into law in September, is to strengthen the governance of SA’s education sector.

The Bill contains key changes to regulations that govern education, with one significant update being that Grade R is now considered part of compulsory education.

These amendments also include the criminalisation of parents and legal guardians who neglect their children’s right to education.

“Two clauses are causing uproar among certain parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU), the education sector and other stakeholders,” said Jansen van Vuuren.

“These clauses would enable provincial education heads to have the final say on school admission and language policies.”

Education inflation

Data from Stats SA reveals that education expenses this year rose by 6.3% compared to 2023, with many fearing that this trend will continue into the coming year.

“The education inflation rate surpasses normal inflation, with high schools seeing the most significant increase of 7.3%, followed by crèches at 6.0% and primary schools and tertiary institutions both up by 5.9%,” he said.

“While parents remain at the mercy of the macro-environment, the good news is that there are steps they can take to safeguard their children’s education.

“Savings and education insurance are important tools to protect your child’s right to quality education from internal and external financial pressures.”

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