723 schools show signs of overcrowding, with a documented shortage of about 5,554 classrooms
723 schools show signs of overcrowding, with a documented shortage of about 5,554 classroomsShare current article via TwitterExpandGauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile says overcrowding, infrastructure backlogs, weak learning outcomes and teacher shortages are some of the persistent challenges facing the province’s education system.
Pupil enrolment in Gauteng has more than doubled from 1,408,237 in 1995 to over 2.8-million in 2026, driven by urbanisation and migration into the province, he said.said while significant progress had been made since 1994, structural pressures continued to impact the quality of education and learner outcomes. “Despite achieving near-universal access to education, the department said rising learner numbers continue to strain infrastructure.with overcrowding in many townships, and inner-city schools reaching between 60 and 70 learners per teacher.” Maile said an estimated 723 schools showed signs of overcrowding in some grades or across the whole school, with a documented shortage of about 5,554 classrooms - 3,166 in primary and 2,388 in secondary schools. Many facilities, he said, were in poor condition, increasing reliance on temporary structures and contributing to unsafe learning environments. “Gauteng faces a deficit of at least 200 new schools to stabilise the system.” Although the province repeatedly committed to building 10 new schools per year, many projects are behind schedule, increasing reliance on temporary classrooms as a short-term measure. A few months ago, former education MEC Matome Chiloane accused municipalities across the province of demanding favours, such as the construction of traffic lights and contributions to bulk infrastructure, in order to approve new schools. He said municipalities were one of the biggest problems when it came to growing school capacity in the province, as they delayed plan approval and also made “ridiculous” demands in exchange for passing applications for schools. “In some schools that have been completed and ready for occupation, the municipality said that for them to give us an occupancy certificate, we need to build a road.” Maile also said the department had identified unequal access to Early Childhood Development as a major concern. He said the sector remained privately operated in Gauteng, with many centres unregistered and unable to access government subsidies. “The key challenges with ECD centres in Gauteng is that a large number remain unregistered, often operating from informal structures that do not meet municipal health and safety requirements.” Registration processes remain slow, while subsidy funding is insufficient to meet growing demand, particularly in low-income communities.According to international assessments, about 81% of Grade 4 learners in SA could not read for meaning, with similar challenges reflected in Gauteng schools. “In Gauteng, weak early-grade reading, comprehension, and numeracy create a silent crisis where learners progress without mastering basics,” Maile said. The department said this contributed to poor performances in subjects like mathematics and physical sciences, particularly in overcrowded schools. Teacher quality and availability remained uneven across the province, Maile added, driven by a shortage of qualified educators in mathematics, science and technology, with an estimated shortfall of 370 teachers in key technical subjects.
Lebogang Maile Literacy South Africa Infrastructure Backlogs Learner Enrolment Gauteng Gauteng Schools Education Outcomes
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