Gauteng needs 200 new schools to ease overcrowding – Education MEC Maile

Maile

Johannesburg – Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile says the province faces a deepening overcrowding crisis in public schools, with more than 2.8 million learners enrolled — double the number recorded in 1995 — and growing by about 50,000 annually.

The Gauteng Department of Education estimates at least 200 new schools are needed at a cost of around R35 billion, but budget constraints allow for only about seven schools to be built each year.

The cost far exceeds the province’s financial capacity, with its annual budget sitting at just over R70 billion.

“We need R35 Billion. So, what we need to do is to think about the boss and find ways to deal with these pressures. So, we are looking into Public-Private Partnerships. We need to get people who will build schools for us, and we pay later over a longer period,” said Maile.

He added that Gauteng “faces a deficit of at least 200 new schools to stabilise the system”.

Overcrowding is widespread, with 1,021 of the province’s 2,111 schools operating above capacity and nearly half of all schools oversubscribed. The crisis is particularly severe in secondary schools, where there is a shortage of over 88,000 spaces due to fewer high schools than primary schools.

Learner-teacher ratios have surged to around 70:1 — well above the recommended 40:1 — while infrastructure shortages extend to classrooms, desks and chairs. Rapid urbanisation, migration into Gauteng and delays in infrastructure delivery have worsened the situation.

Maile described the crisis as “systemic” and linked it to broader structural and financial constraints, noting that current funding is insufficient to meet demand.

The department is exploring solutions including public-private partnerships, reopening closed schools, building new facilities, and using temporary classrooms, but warns that without significant investment and improved planning, the pressure on the system will continue to grow.

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