Budget 2017: Schools the big winners

Education – primarily at school level - gets the biggest chunk of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s one and a half trillion rand budget.

Spending on basic education next year will be over R240 billion‚ or 17.5 percent of the entire budget.

• LIVE: Pravin Gordhan delivers 2017 BudgetA politically "vulnerable" Pravin Gordhan will deliver what could be his last Budget speech today - and he is expected to make an announcement on tax increases that could make everyday lives more difficult. 

“Allocations for school building increase at 12.5 percent a year. Spending on learning and teaching support materials increases by 9.5 percent over the next three years‚” said Gordhan.

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University subsidies get R31.6 billion‚ while the National Student Financial Aid Scheme will get R15.3 billion.

Gordhan said the quality of South Africa’s schools and further education institutions “is at the heart of our commitment to our children’s future”.

“Improvements have to begin in the foundation phase of the education value chain. We will continue to increase resources for early childhood development‚ improve our basic education outcomes and step up our support to TVET colleges and universities‚” said Gordhan.

On financial assistance to students in higher education‚ Gordhan said the government “recognises” the needs voiced by protesting students on campuses.

“As the economy grows‚ we will be able to do more to finance an expansion in tertiary education opportunities and improvements in student funding‚” said Gordhan.

The economic affairs and agriculture cluster received the second biggest allocation at R241.6 billion. Defence and public safety came in third at R198 billion.