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Daily Maverick
23-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Gauteng's R68bn education budget is insufficient to address key issues, warn experts
Experts have warned that despite the Gauteng Department of Education budget increasing to R68bn for the 2025/26 financial year, it is not enough to address critical challenges such as the rapid increase in learners, infrastructure backlogs and systemic inequalities. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced a R68-billion budget for the 2025/2026 financial year designed to drive improvements across the province's education sector. Key priorities include addressing long-standing infrastructure backlogs, expanding access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and improving teacher retention and recruitment. Speaking at a post-budget vote media briefing at Jeppe Girls High School on 20 July, Education MEC Matome Chiloane emphasised the transformative intent behind the allocation. Media 'This R68-billion allocation reflects our dedication to building a generation of skilled, confident and capable learners who will drive South Africa's economic growth and social transformation,' he said. Chiloane said the budget supported key initiatives such as the Strategic Framework for Educational Excellence, the expansion of ECD programmes, school nutrition, scholar transport, psychosocial support and upgrading infrastructure. These efforts aim to provide quality, inclusive and future-focused education by universalising Grade R, ensuring school safety and addressing social barriers to learning. It falls short Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) researcher Daniel Peter Al-Naddaf said the budget increase fell short when adjusted for actual spending and inflation. While the GDE's nominal 4.9% increase to R68-billion seems substantial, he explained that this figure was compared to the initial 2024 budget of R65.8-billion, not the actual R66.14-billion spent. As a result, the increase over last year's actual spending is closer to 2.8%. 'The GDE is not planning to increase spending by 4.9%,' said Al-Naddaf, adding that projected increases for the following years fall below inflation. 'This means that in real terms, learners will receive less each year, not more. Gauteng has one of the highest rates of learner population growth in the country, and all provinces have experienced austerity budgeting for more than a decade. Any increase is welcomed, but this is not at all the kind of major increase necessary to rectify years of underspending,' he said. Matshidiso Lencoasa, a budget policy analyst and researcher at SECTION27, underscored the significance of provincial education budgets, which often receive far less public attention than the national budget. 'Most education functions occur at the provincial level. It's crucial for people, especially parents and community members within each province, to actively look at these budgets and monitor what is being allocated. Without this oversight, important needs can easily be overlooked or underfunded,' she said. Lencoasa said that while the increase appeared meaningful, it only roughly aligned with inflation and fell short of what was needed when factoring in population growth and learner migration. 'Gauteng is an urban province that is quite well-resourced, but it has been struggling for years with issues like overcrowded classrooms and vacant teacher posts. Most of this increase will simply cover the rising cost of living and operational expenses, but it doesn't tackle the core issues like overcrowded classrooms, vacant teacher posts and crumbling school infrastructure,' she said. Concerns over deepening inequality and underspending Al-Naddaf warned that the budget risked deepening disparities as a massive 8.3% cut in spending on goods and services over the next three years threatens critical support. Areas affected include learner transport, nutrition, information and communication technology, inclusive education, municipal services, and learning and teaching support materials. 'Some of the most severe inequalities among Gauteng's learners are precisely in their access to food, transport, technology and inclusive services and materials. While there are some promising initiatives, like collaboration with the Department of Social Development to provide uniforms and other materials to indigent learners, the budget generally risks worsening systemic inequalities in a province where many learners already struggle to get to school, eat at least one meal a day, and access learning materials and support,' he said. Lencoasa said provincial education departments faced difficult trade-offs when balancing critical needs with a stretched budget. 'They have to constantly decide between providing scholar transport, textbooks for learners, and stationery, all essential but competing priorities. Even with these increased allocations, the budget remains insufficient. It's still a long way from truly equipping the education system to provide quality basic education to all learners in the province,' she said. Lencoasa expressed concern that underspending and weak consequence management continued to plague education departments despite increased allocations. 'Unfortunately, underspending persists across various departments, including education, which is alarming given the desperate need for funding to improve schools and classrooms,' she said. 'Money being returned to Treasury or spent irregularly highlights inefficiencies. The school nutrition programme frequently faces shutdown threats due to tender and supply issues, underscoring systemic failures.' Lencoasa lamented that while reports flag irregular expenditure and mismanagement, those responsible are rarely named or held to account. Effective consequence management requires naming and shaming, followed by enforcement and remediation. Without this, poor service delivery and corruption will undermine education outcomes. ECD and Grade R funding is inadequate Gauteng's education budget includes a sizeable allocation of R734-million dedicated to universalising Grade R access, expanding ECD programmes, and training practitioners to NQF Level 6. Lencoasa acknowledged the department had made progress in early childhood education, but said it remained inadequate. 'The current allocations are nowhere near enough to support formal registration of ECD centres or effectively expand Grade R,' she said. Al-Naddaf voiced similar sentiments, noting that the funding increase of about 10.1% for Gauteng's ECD budget to R2.6-billion was encouraging, but accounted for less than 4% of the department's total budget. 'This budget will not ensure universal access to Grade R, and this is primarily because National Treasury has refused to provide provincial education departments the necessary funding to do so in 2025. This [R2.6-billion] is nowhere near enough to universalise Grade R, nor to provide quality, holistic ECD services to all young children in Gauteng. The GDE itself has told Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Basic Education that it does not have enough funding to provide universal Grade R, despite it being compulsory nationwide since January this year. 'While Treasury has made a provisional allocation of R10-billion for ECD nationally, this is specifically for subsidies at ECD centres, and not for universalising Grade R,' he said. Alternative funding and fiscal reform Lencoasa highlighted the urgent need for alternative revenue-raising mechanisms to bridge these gaps. She pointed to large sums lost via uncollected taxes, stating that better collection could unlock significant resources without raising the burden on ordinary citizens. She also questioned the effectiveness of corporate tax incentives designed to stimulate employment, suggesting their reform could free funds for education. Moreover, she advocated for redistributive taxes, like luxury and inheritance taxes, to generate equity-enhancing revenues for the sector. 'The Budget Justice Coalition has actively advocated for these alternatives, stressing that political will at national and provincial levels, especially in economically active provinces like Gauteng, is essential to unlocking sufficient and sustainable funding for education,' said Lencoasa. DM
News24
28-05-2025
- Health
- News24
A silent tragedy: Children with disabilities endure shocking conditions in hostels
The education system in South Africa continues to mirror the segregation of the past, relegating learners with disabilities to special needs schools and hostels that are understaffed, under-resourced and ill-equipped to provide quality education, write Tommie Lehmkhul and Tshego Phala. BlindSA and the Equal Education Law Centre have headed to court to advocate for the appointment of curators at Filadelfia Secondary School and Arthur Blaxall School. These schools, which serve blind and partially sighted pupils, along with their adjoining hostels, have been at the centre of serious concerns about conditions and access to quality education. The proposed curators will be tasked with investigating these troubling circumstances - conditions that have left many pupils with disabilities, particularly those living in the hostels, without the opportunities guaranteed by their unqualified, constitutionally entrenched right to education under Section 29 of the Constitution. Alarmingly, the education system in South Africa continues to mirror the segregation of the past, relegating learners with disabilities to special needs schools and hostels that are often far from their homes and families, understaffed and under-resourced and ill-equipped to provide quality education. READ | More than 130 special needs pupils in Mpumalanga denied education since start of academic year These pupils are stripped of their right to family life, dignity and equality and to the choices which other children have - simply because of a system which continues to fail to support and reasonably accommodate them. Within the context of special schools that are far from home and a continued failure (and at times refusal) to reasonably accommodate pupils with disabilities in ordinary public schools, as mandated by the South African Schools Act, parents are often forced to send their children to special school hostels. Every parent expects that the school they entrust their child with will act as the parent of their child while the child is in their care. Much more so in the case of a child with a disability who, due to the inadequate number of special needs schools across the country, resides in the hostels because of the vast distance between home and school. The shocking conditions which are rife in these hostels are all the more objectionable in light of the vulnerability of these children who are not in the safe, nurturing environment they deserve. Across the country, these institutions - meant to be places of care and support - are instead riddled with neglect, abuse, and dangerously poor conditions. The crisis in these hostels is a silent tragedy, and it is time for us to speak up and demand change. A system in decay Many hostels housing children with disabilities are in disrepair, lacking basic resources, proper medical care, and trained staff. Overcrowding and poor hygiene are rampant, with children forced to live in conditions that no human should endure. Reports of malnutrition, untreated illnesses, and even physical and emotional abuse have surfaced, yet authorities continue to turn a blind eye. Over the past few years, countless human rights violations have been reported in special schools and hostels. These violations range from inadequate infrastructure to substandard nutrition and shocking levels of care. Learners and parents have repeatedly complained about abuse, including sexual abuse and neglect. Various exposés and news reports have spotlighted these atrocities, revealing a disturbing pattern of neglect and abuse. Pupils are left unattended, living in hostels without running water or functional toilets, and are forced to fend for themselves. Disturbingly, some children with disabilities must assist each other with daily living activities - such as changing nappies and bathing - despite their own physical limitations. This is a gross violation of their dignity and rights. Voices unheard, rights ignored Pupils with disabilities are consistently overlooked in resource allocation. Education budgets fail to adequately address their needs, reinforcing systemic marginalisation. The chronic shortage of trained staff and lack of accountability create an environment where abuse is both rampant and unreported. Children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable members of our society. Many of them cannot articulate their suffering, making them easy targets for mistreatment. Staff shortages and a lack of accountability create an environment where abuse can go unnoticed. When these children do cry out for help, their pleas are often dismissed. Their rights, enshrined in national and international laws, are being ignored daily. When children with disabilities are left in these dire conditions and left in the margins of society, it does not just impact them - it affects all of us. We cannot claim to be a just society while allowing this crisis to persist. These children are being denied access to quality education, healthcare, and social inclusion, setting them up for a future of continued marginalisation and suffering stripped of the opportunity to unlock the multiplier right to education that could enable them to contribute and participate fully within our society. This is not just an issue for the government; it is a call to action for every citizen. We urge policymakers to take immediate steps to improve hostel conditions, enforce strict monitoring, and allocate resources to ensure proper care. We call on the public to raise awareness, report injustices, and support organisations working to protect these children. Change is possible - but only if we demand it. READ | SA govt failing disabled children - HRW report Together, advocacy groups such as Blind SA, assisted by the Equal Education Law Centre, have sought to engage with national and provincial departments about the deplorable conditions in special school hostels. We have repeatedly called for the need for regulations governing these hostels, but our calls have gone unheard, even leading us to launch two separate court applications to have an independent person (called a curator) to visit, document, and monitor conditions at two special needs schools. It is our hope that these curators will be given the opportunity to investigate the living conditions of these learners and report to the respective courts with recommendations, which we hope will bring positive change in the learners' lives. In response to the government's inaction, we must continue to raise our voices and demand accountability. The children in these hostels are not invisible. Their lives matter, their dignity matters, and their future depends on our collective action. - Tommie Lehmkhul (BlindSA treasurer) and Tshego Phala (EELC executive director) are with Blind SA and Equal Education Law Centre. *Want to respond to the columnist? Send your letter or article to opinions@ with your name and town or province. You are welcome to also send a profile picture. We encourage a diversity of voices and views in our readers' submissions and reserve the right not to publish any and all submissions received.
TimesLIVE
16-05-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
School near Bronkhorstspruit thrilled at R1.36m donation for science and robotics lab
Mahlenga Secondary School at Sokhulumi village near Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng is excited to be the recipient of a R1.36m corporate donation to equip a science laboratory, robotics lab and a library. Principal Joyce Mahamba described the investment as life-changing. The labs will expand pupils' creativity and aid their learning, especially after the school achieved second place in a robotics competition last year, she said. 'Our pupils were doing well even without a lab. Now, with proper facilities, they can perform practicals like learners in other schools. They won't see equipment for the first time at university,' she said. The new library, with bookshelves and computers, would also help bridge the digital divide for pupils who lack access to such devices at home, she added. 'Most of their parents are not working. Now they can research, apply online and access resources they never had.' According to Equal Education Law Centre, 74% of the country's 22,511 public schools lack libraries, 82% do not have laboratories and 4% are without computer centres. Technology firm ABB said the donation is part of its commitment to empowering communities through education, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. Previous projects include: support for Minerva Secondary School in Alexandra through a maths improvement partnership with the EduFeArn Foundation; infrastructure upgrades at Intabazwe Senior Primary in the Free State; and learning material support at Hlobisa Primary in Mpumalanga.
