Latest news with #coalition government
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Schultz: SARB in a Position to Ease Rates More
South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has dumped his embattled education minister in a bid to ease tension within the coalition government and pave the way for budget approval. Meanwhile investors are awaiting South Africa's June CPI print on Wednesday, July 23 and the SARB's rate decision on July 31. Jeffrey Schultz, Head of CEEMEA Economics at BNP Paribas Markets 360 spoke to Bloomberg's Horizons Middle East and Africa's anchor Joumanna Bercetche and Chief Africa Correspondent Jennifer Zabasajja. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
South Africa's Ramaphosa Axes Education Minister
Live on Bloomberg TV CC-Transcript 00:00So another government shake up. Just give us the backdrop to what led to the firing of the Education Minister, I mean, many analysts that we've been speaking to are saying that this is a sign that a coalition government is working in action, as you were mentioning. Yes. This is the second government shakeup that we've seen in the past few weeks by President Ramaphosa. The significance here, though, is that what we were seeing from opposition parties within this coalition government is that they were threatening to hold up any sort of budgetary movement and approval of budgets moving forward if they in their words, if they don't see the removal of some parliament parliamentary members who they deem as corrupt and compromise removed. And so, yes, that is what we saw earlier this week from President Ramaphosa, the Education Minister. She faced allegations of corruption and potentially accusations that she misled Parliament. Now, with her removal, we haven't really heard from the ANC or from President Ramaphosa why exactly she was removed. But we are hearing from opposition coalition members who are saying that they are pleased with this and now they can move forward with the next steps of approval, but saying at the same time in the same breath that they're not going to stop going after other officials who they deem within the ANC party as being, in their words, compromised. And as you were mentioning, yes, this opens the door to budgetary approval later today. We were waiting for the appropriations bill. Really, it's the final nail in the coffin of this budget impasse that we've been seeing over the past few months is finally going to get a vote later today, hopefully then easing tensions within the coalition government, potentially. Then for investors, it's giving them a bit of relief that, yes, the coalition government is working and potentially there is more accountability that we are seeing within the government. The ANC, though, again, for their part, are saying that the removal of the education minister has nothing to do with the DA and some of the threats that they heard there. But you do have to wonder whether or not investor sentiment and really this hold up of this budget that we've been waiting for for the past five months had anything to do with at least the removal of the education minister and moving things forward here.
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
What you need to know about recent changes to schools and education
New maths and English curriculum has begun rolling out this year. Photo: Unsplash/ Greg Rosenke Explainer - It's been a year full of changes in the educational system, with announcements and new initiatives coming nearly every week from the coalition government. What has been announced and what's coming up soon? Here is a roundup of just some of the major announcements we've seen in 2025 that will affect students and educators: The new maths curriculum and English curriculum for primary school-aged students began this year. It's all part of the first steps in the government's long-term push for what it's calling a "knowledge-rich" curriculum . The government also previously announced moves towards teaching structured literacy skills to students. The drafts of the secondary English and maths curriculums are also out for feedback. Education Minister Erica Stanford. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The government announced it would no longer build open-plan classrooms , moving away from the policy which Education Minister Erica Stanford called too noisy and distracting for children. While there has been negative feedback from schools on open-plan learning, Stanford said, surveys by the Council for Educational Research showed most teachers who worked in the structures liked them and believed their students benefited from learning in that kind of environment. New classrooms will be built using standard designs that prioritise flexibility, like glass sliding doors that can open a class when it is time to collaborate and close it for focused learning. Erica Stanford speaks to students at a Wellington school. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The government is also allocating $140 million to tackle truancy with a new school attendance service . The funding boost is aimed at supporting more schools and reaching double the number of students over the next four years, according to Associate Education Minister David Seymour. He said the new attendance service would address chronic absence and focus on keeping students in school when they return. Transitioning to the new attendance service would start at the end of the year and be fully in place from early 2026. Charter schools have returned to New Zealand this year under the coalition government . They were previously shut down by former Education Minister Chris Hipkins in 2018. Seven of the publicly-funded, private schools opened in Term 1. The Charter School Agency said the charter school authorisation board was considering 52 applications from organisations wanting to set up new charter schools next year, as well as two applications from state or state integrated schools wanting to convert. A new school property entity is being set up to manage building, maintaining, and administering the school property portfolio. Stanford said the new Crown agent will sit separate from the Ministry of Education, which will keep responsibility for education policy and network decisions. Announcing the launch of the New Zealand School Property Agency, Stanford said schools had been kept waiting for classrooms and refurbishments they badly needed. A new 600-student primary school was also announced for Massey in Auckland . The government announced $28 million will be spent on building more "safe, warm and dry classrooms" for tamariki in Māori full immersion schools. Twenty new classrooms will be built across four providers, and work will begin on the first stage of a new school north of Auckland. The new development, for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāringaomatariki in Kaiwaka, will eventually have 19 classrooms. It was announced in this year's budget that the Kāhui Ako - Communities of Learning - scheme was to be disestablished . The scheme grouped schools together to work on common problems with extra pay for one principal to oversee each group and for select teachers to share good practice between and within schools. A report said there were 220 Kāhui Ako, involving 1958 schools and 1506 early learning centres, and more than 4000 teachers received extra pay for Kāhui Ako roles. From November, eligible student-visa holders will be able to work more hours a week , from 20 to 25 hours, and work rights will be extended to all tertiary students in approved exchange programmes. The government will also consider introducing a short-duration work visa of up to six months to allow international graduates who do not qualify for post-study work rights time to seek jobs under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) pathway. It would also look at updates to make it easier for students to apply for multi-year visas. The goal was to boost tertiary education's annual economic contribution to $7.2 billion, by lifting enrolments from 83,700 in 2024 to 119,000 in 2034. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford visit Sherwood Primary School in Browns Bay, Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi There were several big spending announcements in this year's budget. Stanford said new education initiatives in the Budget totalled $2.5 billion over four years, though about $614m of that total was reprioritised from "underperforming" initiatives. The government's total spend on early childhood and school education would grow by roughly $400m to $19.85b in 2025-26, but drop to $19b and $18.9b in subsequent years. There was also a $720m increase for learning support. The increase included $266m to extend the early intervention service from early childhood through to the end of Year 1 of primary school, including employing 560 more early intervention teachers and specialists and helping an additional 4000 children. It also included $192m over three years to provide learning support coordinators in 1250 more primary schools, $122m to meet increased demand for the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme for students with the highest needs, and $90m to build 25 new satellite classrooms for specialist schools. Stanford said the government was building up to adding 2 million extra teacher aide hours by 2028. The other big education initiative in the Budget was $298m for curriculum, nearly half of it targeted to maths and literacy, and about $76m for a new standardised reading, writing and maths test for schools. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South African president removes minister criticised by key coalition partner
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed the higher education minister from her position, his office said on Monday, after his party's key coalition partner accused her of misconduct. The removal of Nobuhle Nkabane from her post could help defuse tensions between Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), the two biggest parties in the coalition government, ahead of a budget vote this week. The DA alleges that Nkabane helped engineer the appointment of ANC-connected individuals to the boards of skills development organizations and lied to parliament to cover that up. Nkabane has denied the allegations against her, according to local television station eNCA. She said in a statement that it had been a privilege to serve in her position. The DA welcomed Nkabane's dismissal. The party stepped up its criticism of the minister after Ramaphosa fired its deputy trade minister for not receiving presidential permission for an overseas trip, in the latest spat between the two main governing parties. The DA threatened to vote against the budgets of departments led by ANC ministers it has accused of wrongdoing, including Nkabane, potentially disrupting the national budget. Lawmakers are due to consider the last major piece of budget legislation, the Appropriation Bill, on Wednesday. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Another key ally is quitting Netanyahu's governing coalition, dealing Israel's leader a major blow
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks to reporters before a meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a major political blow on Wednesday as a key governing partner announced it was quitting his coalition government, leaving him with a minority in parliament as the country faces a litany of challenges. Shas, an ultra-Orthodox party that has long served as kingmaker in Israeli politics, announced that it would bolt the government over disagreements surrounding a proposed law that would enshrine broad military draft exemptions for its constituents -- the second ultra-Orthodox governing party to do so this week. 'In this current situation, it's impossible to sit in the government and to be a partner in it,' Shas Cabinet minister Michael Malkieli said in announcing the party's decision. But Shas said it would not undermine Netanyahu's coalition from the outside and could vote with it on some legislation, granting Netanyahu a lifeline in what would otherwise make governing almost impossible and put his lengthy rule at risk. Once their resignations come into effect, Netanyahu's coalition will have 50 seats in the 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu's government doesn't face immediate collapse Netanyahu's rule, for now, doesn't appear threatened. Once Shas' resignations are put forward, there's a 48-hour window before they become official, which gives him a chance to salvage his government. Netanyahu's Likud party did not immediately comment on Shas' departure. The party's announcement also comes just before lawmakers recess for the summer, granting Netanyahu several months of little to no legislative activity to bring the parties back into the fold with a possible compromise on the draft law. But if the coalition isn't shored up by the time the Knesset reconvenes in the fall, it could signal that Israel may be headed to early elections, which are currently scheduled for October 2026. The political instability comes at a pivotal time for Israel, which is negotiating with Hamas on the terms for a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Shas' decision isn't expected to derail the talks. But with a fracturing coalition, Netanyahu will feel more pressure to appease his other governing allies, especially the influential far-right flank, which opposes ending the 21-month war in Gaza so long as Hamas remains intact. They have threatened to quit the government if it does end. Despite losing two important political partners, Netanyahu will still be able to move ahead on a ceasefire deal, once one is reached. The Trump administration has been pushing Israel to wrap up the war. The embattled Netanyahu is on trial for alleged corruption, and critics say he wants to hang on to power so that he can use his office as a bully pulpit to rally supporters and lash out against prosecutors and judges. That makes him all the more vulnerable to the whims of coalition allies. Exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox have long divided Israel On Tuesday, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party said it was quitting over Netanyahu's failure to pass a law on the military draft exemptions. Military service is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis, and the issue of exemptions has long divided the country. Those rifts have widened since the start of the war in Gaza as demand for military manpower has grown and hundreds of soldiers have been killed. A decades-old arrangement by Israel's first prime minister granted hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men exemptions from compulsory Israeli service. Over the years, those exemptions ballooned into the thousands. The ultra-Orthodox say their men are serving the country by studying sacred Jewish texts and preserving centuries' old tradition. They fear that mandatory enlistment will dilute adherents' connection to the faith. But most Jewish Israelis see the exemption as unfair, as well as the generous government stipends granted to many ultra-Orthodox men who study instead of work throughout adulthood. Netanyahu's coalition has been trying to find a path forward on a new law. But his base is largely opposed to granting sweeping draft exemptions and a key lawmaker has stood in the way of giving the ultra-Orthodox a law they can get behind, prompting their exit. Tia Goldenberg, The Associated Press
