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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition to the lack of schooling infrastructure, unpaid municipal bills have left more than 500 schools across Gauteng without water and electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
South Africa\u2019s biggest province by population size, Gauteng, is lagging behind others in terms of new public schools built despite having the second highest number of learners in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to data from The Outlier, Gauteng has built or refurbished only 48 schools since the 2015\/16 financial year, ranking fourth out of the nine provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By contrast, KwaZulu-Natal has built 58, the Eastern Cape 74, and the Western Cape the most at 97 over the past ten years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, the Northern Cape has built the fewest schools, 16, followed by Limpopo, 22, Mpumalanga, 29, the Free State, 38, and the North West, 46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Northern Cape only built 16 schools, it had just over 301,000 learners to accommodate, and 543 schools had been built as of 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This gives it an average of 556 learners per school, whereas Gauteng had 2.3 million learners last year and only 2,068 schools \u2014 an average of 1,112 learners per school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
KZN is the only province with more learners than Gauteng, with 2.8 million learners and 5,753 schools. This equates to an average of 486 learners per school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Outlier said that the number of learners enrolled in Gauteng schools has increased by 385,000 over the past ten years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that if it had built one school for every 1,000 learners, Gauteng would have built 385 schools over the period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, the Western Cape has seen an influx of an additional 182,000 learners into its public schooling system, meaning it has built a new school for every 1,870 learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said it is struggling to accommodate learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GDE told the committee that migration from other provinces strains its infrastructure, with over 100,000 new learners entering the province annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It argued that more streamlined municipal approvals must be implemented as bureaucratic processes slow down school construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite concerns from the committe, the GBE made no mention of plans to build new schools in 2025 in its presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition to the lack of schooling infrastructure, unpaid municipal bills have left more than 500 schools across Gauteng without water and electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n