1. The School Budget Competition has become a proud tradition of interaction between the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of the Department of Finance and Tourism and learners in the province, and is generally well and enthusiastically supported by schools and learners.
2. The proposals made and thoughts expressed in the top essays have elicited food for thought and been brought into play in the MEC’s annual Budget address to the Provincial Parliament and the broader public. This address, as you know, conveys the fiscal policy statement of the Provincial Government.
3. However, due to the local government elections this year, the Provincial Budget Day for 2006 was moved forward to 17 February 2006. It would appear that most schools and learners, with the learners having only returned to school at the end of January 2006, were not in a position to respond to the competition within the desired time frame.
4. Regrettably, due to the exceedingly poor participation in the School Budget Competition – 2006, MEC Brown has elected to cancel this year’s programme. We sincerely apologise to those few learners and schools that did make an effort to submit an entry.
5. We trust that next year we will have the usual wide and high standards of participation, so that we will again be able to acknowledge those schools and learners who provide us with the best suggestions to take forward. Budgets are about growing and developing this country in the best possible manner and as learners of today are the inheritors of tomorrow, it is desirable that we get their inputs as well.
6. Please bring the contents of this Logistical Services Minute to the attention of all learners concerned.


SIGNED: J.H. LYNWEA
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2006:02:20