Teachers under fire due to Gauteng budget cuts

Trade union Solidarity has warned that teachers will be significantly impacted by the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) decision to cut funding for certain public schools in 2026.

This comes after Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane informed around 750 public schools in the province that their state subsidy will be cut by more than 60%.

The department informed quintile 5 schools in the province that the national tariff of R315 per learner for resource allocations will be in effect for 2026, citing alignment with national standards and budget constraints.

For years, quintile 4 and 5 schools in the province received the same amount of R838 per learner for expenses such as textbooks, stationary, and water and electricity, among others.

According to the head of Solidarity’s Teacher Network, which represents over 6,000 educators, the cut in subsidies will make it increasingly difficult for schools to retain teaching staff, manage class sizes, and maintain essential support structures.

“Many schools will be forced to abolish teaching posts and other positions, placing an additional burden on the remaining teachers,” Botha said.

“Larger class sizes will increase workload and stress levels for teachers who are already overworked.”

“This could affect the quality of education and highlights how such government decisions ultimately harm our children, whose academic performance may suffer as a result,” he added.

Botha wrote to the GDE, demanding that the cuts be withdrawn and reviewed in consultation with schools.

Democratic Alliance MPL in Gauteng, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, has also taken issue with Chiloane’s decision, arguing that it is unlawful as it was announced after the legislated deadline had passed.

“The GDE’s decision to introduce the reduction after the legislated deadline of 30 September 2025 is not only invalid but also reckless and likely to harm thousands of learners in Gauteng,” he said.

“The decision has affected School Governing Bodies that had already prepared their budgets based on the previous subsidy levels.”

Dos Santos added that the significant reduction from R879 per learner places schools in a financial predicament, which will “almost certainly lead to a substantial increase in school fees.”

Chiloane announced earlier this month that the financial challenges faced by his department can be attributed to the R12 billion in budget cuts it has undergone over the past five years.

He said that if the challenges facing the GDE and other provincial education departments are not urgently resolved, “the system will collapse.”

However, Deon Lerm, Gauteng Manager of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools, points out that there is a misconception surrounding quintile five schools.

“The assumption is often that schools that charge school fees are wealthy. This is not the case. Not all quintile five schools in Gauteng are in wealthier neighbourhoods.”

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube’s spokesperson, Lukhanyo Vangqa, told Newsday that the financial challenges facing the education sector are a result of years of austerity, economic mismanagement, and poor prioritisation.

“For example, while the country cut the budget for education over the years, failing state-owned enterprises received more than R130 billion in bailouts.”

“The Minister has called on all MECs to submit financial recovery plans,” he said.

“She has called for a political 10×10, which will include the Minister of Finance together with his MECs of Finance on one side and the Minister of Basic Education with her MECs of Education on the other.”