Budget cuts leave Pretoria’s Schools of Specialisation grasping at straws

The future of Pretoria’s specialised education is under threat after the Gauteng Department of Education slashed funding to Schools of Specialisation (SoS) by a staggering 81.36% since 2022.

Funding dropped from R69.29-million in 2022 to R13-million in 2024, a move the DA said would cripple the province’s ability to prepare learners for critical industries such as engineering, biotechnology, science, and manufacturing.

“This reduction hinders equipping learners with critical skills needed to grow the economy,” said Michael Waters, DA member of the provincial legislature.

Nine Pretoria-based schools have been severely affected, with some facing serious drops of over 85%.

These include institutions in Saulsville, Atteridgeville, Pretoria east, Centurion, Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, and Mamelodi.

MEC of the Gauteng Department of Education, Matome Chiloane, informed Gauteng Legislature that ]Edward Phatudi School of Specialisation in Saulsville’s allocation plummeted from R3.9-million in 2022 to just over R1-million in 2024.

Similarly, the Pro Arte Alphen Park Performing and Creative Arts School in Pretoria east saw a cut from R3-million to R426 300 over the same period.

“These schools of specialisation were opened to great fanfare and are now left to fend for themselves,” said Waters. “Learners are being denied the very subjects that could prepare them for jobs in competitive, high-demand sectors.”

Established between 2018 and 2025, these schools offer advanced education in subjects like nuclear science, automotive skills, creative arts, maths, research and innovation, and more.

Some also offer vocational subjects such as hospitality, tourism, agriculture, and beauty technology.

These are skills Waters said are vital in fighting the high unemployment rate in Gauteng of 34.4%.

While Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi maintains that the province is empowering youth through these institutions, Waters accused the provincial government of pushing them “into a desperate scramble for funding”.

The DA Gauteng has vowed to challenge the cuts and raise the issue at the Gauteng Education Portfolio Committee, calling for urgent review and intervention to prevent long-term damage to learners’ futures and the province’s economic growth.

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