Grade R classrooms must have no more than 30 pupils per teacher, while those from Grade 1 to Grade 12 are capped at 40 pupils per teacher, according to the draft regulations.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has published draft regulations under the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act setting out exactly how many pupils may be in a public school classroom, and the rules are now open for public comment.
The regulations, gazetted on 6 August, aim to standardise how schools determine their capacity, curb overcrowding and ensure that teaching spaces are used effectively.
Maximum class sizes
According to the draft norms and standards, Grade R classrooms must have no more than 30 pupils per teacher, while classes from Grade 1 to Grade 12 are capped at 40 pupils per teacher.
To meet these targets, the regulations stipulate minimum classroom sizes: at least 60m² for Grade R and 48m² for Grades 1–12.
Each Grade R pupil must have 1.6m² of space, while older pupils require at least 1m² each. Teacher space is set at 7m² per classroom.
“These regulations are instruments that will affect how schools are governed and managed, how children are admitted, and how our values as a society are reflected in our education system,” Gwarube said.
“I call on all South Africans, including parents, teachers, school governing bodies, civil society, education experts and community members to participate meaningfully in this public comment process. Your voice matters.”
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What determines a school’s capacity?
The regulations require schools to calculate capacity by adding up the space in all ordinary classrooms, excluding specialist rooms such as science labs, libraries or computer rooms.
Other factors to be considered include:
- Curriculum and extracurricular offerings
- School’s academic performance
- Condition and allocation of classrooms
- Health and safety compliance
- Availability of ablution facilities
If enrolment changes significantly, schools may redistribute pupils across classes or reallocate rooms to avoid breaching the limits. Specialist classrooms may not be counted when determining overall capacity.
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Avoiding overcrowding
The Department of Basic Education says the goal is to ensure quality teaching and learning.
“The objectives of these regulations are to ensure that all classrooms in schools are used effectively and thus safeguarding against overcrowding, by providing for the minimum uniform norms and standards for the capacity of an ordinary public school in respect of the number of learners a school can admit,” the gazette said.
The regulations also stress efficient use of teaching spaces, with minimal downtime in classrooms during the school day.
Have your say
The draft regulations are available on the Department of Basic Education’s website and in Government Gazette No. 53119 and 53120 of 6 August 2025.
The public has until 5 September 2025 to submit written comments on the website or by sending an email addressed to the Director: Legal Services, marked for Advocate Zukile Ntshwanti.
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