Schools in South Africa’s richest province in trouble

The Gauteng Education Department has failed to pay subsidies to many schools, which puts them under severe financial pressure.

The issue was raised during the Gauteng Province’s 2026/27 budget debate after many public schools complained that they had not yet received their subsidies.

There is also a group of schools which had only been paid a small portion of the subsidies they were set to receive.

The first instalment of the annual provincial subsidy to Gauteng schools was supposed to be paid in May 2026.

The next payment window is November 2026. Seeing as quintile 1 to 3 schools are wholly dependent on these subsidies, they will struggle financially.

Given that many schools in the higher quintiles are also under financial strain, many more schools could collapse if the subsidies are not paid immediately.

“This failure points to extremely poor financial management and planning by the Department of Education,” the Freedom Front Plus said.

“It is a disgrace that the Education Department receives the largest share of the provincial budget yet still cannot meet its financial obligations to schools.”

It argued that the Gauteng Education Department is gradually losing its ability to provide public schools with proper services.

“The backlog in the construction of new schools continues to grow, unfairly placing additional pressure on existing schools,” it said.

“It is also evident that the Education Department is being targeted for cost savings to plug holes in other departments.

It said this strategy is detrimental to public schools in Gauteng. “This is seen in the reduction of subsidies for quintile 5 schools,” it said.

The party called for an independent audit of the Department of Education, followed by an overhaul to enable it to achieve more with less.

“Costs should be cut within the Education Department, on central and district levels, to unlock funds for schools and restore subsidies,” it said.

Gauteng Premier under fire for budget cut to schools

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is under fire for a 64% budget cut to schools after they paid R9.3 billion for the failed e-toll system.

The DA’s Michael Waters said learners bear the consequences of the severe budget cuts, with electricity disconnections at schools.

Last year, information emerged about a drastic reduction in subsidies paid by the Gauteng Department of Education to quintile 5 schools.

AfriForum warned that the cost-cutting measures would negatively affect the quality of education at these schools.

“Fuller classrooms and less individual attention to learners will be some of the consequences of this step,” it said.

Earlier this year, the City of Tshwane started to cut power to schools which were in arrears on their municipal accounts.

However, AfriForum successfully fought a legal battle to restore power to these schools, saying it is the provincial government’s responsibility to pay the bills.

The problems with school funding in Gauteng have now been laid bare following the DA’s questions on the issue.

The party asked Gauteng Education MEC Lebohang Maile about the budget cuts to schools in the province.

“Maile noted that the province’s finances have been placed under strain by the decision to assume responsibility for e-toll debt,” Waters said.

He argued that this was ridiculous because the e-toll scheme was a national project, not a Gauteng project.

“Premier Lesufi caved in and has already committed more than R16 billion of Gauteng taxpayers’ money to pay for something that residents never accepted,” he said.

Waters said that the consequences of that decision are now felt in classrooms across the Gauteng province.

“While billions are paying off e-tolls, schools are told there is no money to prevent a 64% reduction in school subsidies,” he said.

“Lesufi’s government has chosen to deplete provincial finances to clean up the e-toll mess it created.”

He added that the result is that parents are expected to pay more in school fees while receiving less in return.