By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said Wednesday an extra 5 billion rand ($382 million) will be used to fund the higher education and training sector.
The basic and tertiary education sectors will now receive 320 billion rand ($24.4 billion) for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
Gordhan said the funds will be used to ensure students from impoverished households do not pay university fee increases in 2017.
“Government has provided funds to ensure that no student, whose combined family income is below R600,000 per annum, ($46,204) will face fee increases at universities and colleges for 2017,” Gordhan said in a televised address.
Thousands of university students took to the streets last year to protest tuition increases, while some demanded free education.
Despite weeks of protests, the government did not bow to those demands and said free education was not feasible, but it agreed to continue to sponsor students from poor households.
Gordhan said 17.5 percent of the consolidated budget has been allocated to fund basic education next year, while allocations for school construction would increase at 12.5 percent.
“Honorable members, the quality of our schools and further education institutions is at the heart of our commitment to our children’s future,” he said.