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Education takes the lion's share
26/02/2003 14:38 - (SA)
Cape Town - Education continued to take the lion's share of the Budget on Wednesday, accounting together with skills training for 23.2% of non-interest spending.
A particular target of the R69.1bn allocation for 2002/4, up from the R62.8bn of the current financial year, will be school textbooks.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced that spending at the provincial level on school education was budgeted to grow from R59bn in the coming year to R67bn in 2005/06.
This year, raising the level of funding for support materials for pupils topped education priorities.
"More money will be spent on school building and maintenance, as well as textbooks, stationery, mathematical sets and science kits, supporting effective teaching and learning in schools," he said.
At national level, he announced, R800m had been set aside for the controversial restructuring of the higher education system over the next three years.
This programme will see the rationalisation of a number of technikons and universities.
A further R280m, Manuel said, would replenish the national student financial aid scheme, making tertiary education a reality for poorer students.
- SAPA
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