With only one new provincial government school in Pretoria currently in the planning phase to be built, the overcrowded classrooms in Gauteng and Pretoria have become a symbol of years of infrastructure failures.

Politicians and education experts are warning that the provincial government’s apparent quick administrative fixes do not address the core problem, while thousands of learners remain without adequate space and resources.

The provincial government, under the leadership of Premier Panyaza Lesufi, recently admitted that almost half of Gauteng’s schools’ classrooms are too full and schools are too small to accommodate learners in their residential areas.

With more than 2.8 million learners in the system in Gauteng, it places tremendous pressure on existing infrastructure.

The Education MEC, Lebogang Maile, confirmed during a media conference last month that overcrowded schools deprive learners of a safe and dignified learning environment.

He explained that the province needs around R35-billion to build 200 new schools needed to relieve the tremendous pressure on the education system.

He emphasised that the department’s budget of about R70-billion is largely absorbed by fixed expenses.

According to Maile, about R53-billion goes towards salaries, while another R8-billion is transferred directly to schools, which leaves little room for major infrastructure expansion.

Given these financial limitations, Maile said the department will have to think ‘outside the box’ to address overpopulation and infrastructure backlogs.

He added that the department is currently investigating the possibility of using the Public-Private Partnership model as a way to accelerate the building of new schools.

A report to the provincial government’s portfolio committee on education indicates that only one school is currently under construction, while four are still in the design phase.

The only planned new school in Pretoria, a secondary school in The Reeds in Centurion, is still in the planning phase and the building plans are still awaiting approval.

In Pretoria, there are 139 state schools in the Tshwane North district, 192 state schools in Tshwane South and 160 state schools in Tshwane West.

According to the DA member of the Provincial Council, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, this situation “is the result of years of poor planning for a growing learner population”.

He pointed out that due to a shortage of schools, many learners are forced to travel far and end up in overcrowded classrooms of between 70 and 90 learners.

Mobile classrooms in converted shipping containers, which were meant as temporary solutions, have in many cases become permanent structures with often undeveloped site infrastructure, such as toilets, water and electricity connections.

“The problem does not just lie with the building of new schools, but also with the poor use of existing infrastructure,” Dos Santos believes.

Over the past decade, 41 schools have been closed in Gauteng, with at least 15 schools standing empty despite the urgent need for space.

Dos Santos believes the crisis is further exacerbated “through poor project management, contractors who do not deliver completed schools on time and projects that stagnate for years”.

Several school building projects in the province have come to a standstill amid disputes, poor workmanship or administrative problems.

Against this background, education organisations also voiced concerns about the Gauteng Department of Education’s plan to include Grade R in the central online admissions system from 2027.

Critics say this is an attempt to solve an infrastructure crisis with an administrative solution.

Johan Botha, head of the Solidarity Education Network, said the decision reflects a policy which does not correspond to the reality on the ground.

“The department is attempting to present an administrative solution for an infrastructure crisis. It is senseless. An online system cannot create classrooms, train teachers or build schools overnight. This decision is simply removed from reality,” said Botha.

According to available figures, there is currently a shortage of about 200 schools and more than 5 500 classrooms in Gauteng.

Botha pointed out that the provincial government’s education department already struggles every year to place learners on time, with placement processes that are not often finalised until months after the beginning of a school year.

He warned that the expansion of an already overloaded system, without sufficient infrastructure and resources, will raise the pressure on schools, parents and learners.

Parents will be required to register their children through a central system without any guarantee of an available space.

The core of the issue, he believes, is the lack of a sustainable, long-term strategy which aligns infrastructure development with population growth and migration patterns.

Botha pointed out that in an attempt to find solutions, his organisation has written to the provincial government to provide information within 14 days. It must explain the following: the department’s implementation plan, budgets and timelines to address the shortage of classrooms and schools. As well as the funding and appointment of an additional 2 333 qualified Grade R teachers and the current number of available Grade R places per school and district.

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