Key Takeaways
- The Gauteng education department (GDE) is facing a school placement crisis, with 10,285 pupils remaining unplaced for the 2026 school year.
- The GDE spokesperson, Steve Mabona, claims that the department is not responsible for building new schools, and that the blame for the shortage of space cannot be placed solely on them.
- The department has introduced temporary solutions, such as satellite schools, but these have faced resistance from parents who prefer permanent structures.
- The GDE faces bureaucratic and logistical hurdles when attempting to expand existing facilities, including contractors’ challenges and municipalities refusing to approve requests for additional classrooms.
Introduction to the Crisis
The Gauteng education department (GDE) is currently grappling with a significant school placement crisis, which has left thousands of families in a state of uncertainty. The crisis is most severe in "high-pressure areas" such as Kempton Park, Thembisa, Alberton, Ivory Park, and Centurion. Despite the department’s efforts to facilitate placement, many pupils remain unplaced, with a total of 10,285 pupils still waiting for a spot in the 2026 school year. This includes 2,848 grade 1 pupils and 7,447 grade 8 pupils. The situation has sparked intense public pressure on the department to meet the rising demand for education.
The Department’s Response
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona pushed back against criticisms regarding the province’s school placement crisis. Mabona claimed that the department cannot be solely blamed for the shortage of space that prevents many pupils from being placed in schools close to their homes. He described the placement issue as "multi-layered" and stated that the department’s role is to facilitate placement, not to manage construction projects. Mabona emphasized that the department of infrastructure is responsible for building new schools, and that the GDE’s mandate is limited to facilitating placement. Despite this, the department has assured that all pupils will be accommodated before the start of the new academic year.
Temporary Solutions
One temporary solution that the department has introduced is the use of satellite schools, which are constructed using prefabricated materials rather than traditional brick and mortar. However, this solution has faced resistance from parents who are reluctant to enrol their children in these "container schools". Many parents have cited a preference for permanent structures, which has led to a low uptake of the satellite school option. Mabona acknowledged that the department faces significant challenges in expanding existing facilities, including contractors’ challenges and municipalities refusing to approve requests for additional classrooms. The department’s efforts to provide temporary solutions have been hindered by these bureaucratic and logistical hurdles.
Bureaucratic and Logistical Hurdles
Mabona highlighted the challenges that the department faces when attempting to expand existing facilities. He pointed to two primary obstacles: contractors’ challenges, often due to contractors failing to deliver projects on time, and municipalities refusing to approve the GDE’s requests for additional classrooms at existing schools. Mabona stated that when the department approaches municipalities to build more classrooms, they are often met with a stalemate. The municipalities argue that a school was originally designed for a specific capacity and provide various reasons to withhold approval. These challenges have hindered the department’s efforts to provide adequate space for pupils, exacerbating the placement crisis.
Way Forward
Despite the challenges, the department has assured that all pupils will be accommodated before the start of the new academic year. Mabona stated that the department’s employees have been working to place as many pupils as possible, especially in high-pressure areas. The window for late applications for grade 1 and grade 8 will open on Wednesday, providing an opportunity for parents and guardians who have not yet secured a spot for their children to apply. The department’s efforts to address the placement crisis will continue, with a focus on finding temporary solutions and working with other stakeholders to provide adequate space for pupils. However, the root causes of the crisis, including the shortage of space and the bureaucratic and logistical hurdles, will need to be addressed in the long term to prevent a similar crisis from occurring in the future.