It has to prepare government policy on education and training for the country as a whole. Relations with Provincial Departements of Education are guided by national policy, within which the provincial departments have set their own priorities and implementation programmes.
 
There has been a significant increase in the education budget allocation under the post-apartheid democratic Government. In the 2002/03 financial year, the budget allocation to education totalled R59,669 billion. This amount included R7,469 billion for universities and technikons and R50,865 billion for college and school education.