Education to receive the largest share of South Africa’s 2019 budget, with the Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announcing R111.2 billion for higher education.
Spending on higher
education will again see a significant rise due to government’s free higher
education policy for students from households under R350 000 a year.
“Over the medium term, government spend R111, 2 billion to ensure that 2.8 million deserving students from poor and working class families obtain their qualification at universities and TVET colleges, “Mboweni said.
Even though this could reduce tensions at institutions of
Higher learning -Universities of South Africa (USAF) is concerned about
government’s unclear plan on how much of the budget will be allocated towards
student accommodation.
“Without giving us numbers the minister indicated that there
would be an investment towards student accommodation,” said CEO of USAF,
Professor Ahmed Bawa.
As a whole, education will receive R386, 4-billion.
