The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) received confirmation today, after the party posed an oral question to the Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, during a session of the Gauteng Legislature, that Quintile 5 public schools will receive only a small subsidy increase in the 2027/28 financial year.
The Premier confirmed that the subsidy will be increased from R315 to R329 per learner – a meagre increase of only 4,4%.
The Freedom Front Plus believes that a more reasonable increase could already be implemented in the upcoming provincial adjustment budget in October 2026, followed by a more substantial increase in the 2027/28 budget so as to restore the subsidy to historical levels.
The Premier attributed the meagre increase to budgetary constraints, including the reduced allocation from the National Treasury and the repayment of e-toll debt. He also indicated that planning for both the October adjustment budget and the 2027/28 budget is still under way.
The Freedom Front Plus pointed out that substantial savings are possible in both budgets, and then that money could go towards proper increases for Quintile 5 schools. The Premier welcomed any constructive proposals in this regard and invited the Freedom Front Plus to engage with him.
The Freedom Front Plus will gladly accept this invitation and do everything in its power to restore the Quintile 5 subsidy to reasonable levels.
The issue cannot be reduced to a simple debate on race.
According to the provincial Department of Education’s own figures, there are currently 446 English-medium Quintile 5 schools compared to only 116 Afrikaans schools. Therefore, restoring the subsidy would benefit all population groups.
The Freedom Front Plus recognises that the parents of children in Quintile 5 schools are under severe financial strain and will keep fighting for fair subsidies.
