Ntombela says more than ten schools across the province will be opened before the end of this fiscal year and the government will be building more schools. 

Delivering her State of the Province Address, Ntombela highlighted the need to invest in young people and ensuring that they participate meaningfully in the country's economy.  Ntombela says investing more money in education and skills development programmes for young people is amongst her list of priorities. She alludes that they have heeded the call by parents and learners who were without schools in their areas and had to walk long distances to get to schools. 

Ntombela has committed to build new schools and ensure infrastructure maintenance at many that have been left dilapidated.  She has further committed to eradicating pit toilets at many of the schools in the province. This, after 20 pit toilets were found in schools within the Mangaung District, 39 in Lejweleputsa and 3 in Xhariep.

Her commitment to eradicate pit toilets comes just weeks after President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address committed to eradicating pit toilets in all the provinces.

Ramaphosa's plan to improve sanitation at schools came under the spotlight last year after the death of a five-year-old, Lumka Mkhetha, who died after falling into a pit toilet in the Eastern Cape, made national headlines.

Ntombela has further alluded that local contractors will be appointed in the building of these schools and toilets.

She acknowledged that this will assist in empowering residents in those communities and warned that contractors with a track record of abandoning projects will not be considered.

Ntombela said education is one of the areas that will receive her attention this year and has committed to ensuring that 2 271 vacant positions of teachers in the province are filled before the end of the year.

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