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Trade union Solidarity indicated on Wednesday that new report released by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) has revealed deeply worrying findings about funding and staffing for Gauteng schools for 2026.
The report shows that the allocation per learner for quintile 5 schools has dropped from around R900 to R315, namely a decrease of 65% which is estimated to affect more than 750 schools. According to the report, notice of this cut in subsidy was only issued by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) after the budget deadline of 30 September 2025, which has seriously disrupted planning and budgeting processes at schools. According to Johnell Prinsloo, education researcher at the SRI, the report was based on data from a survey by the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools (SCS).
The report shows that 67% of schools have received a weaker allocation for 2026, even as approximately 80% are struggling to pay for basic services such as water and electricity. Several schools report that their funds are only enough to cover their expenses for a few more months. According to Prinsloo, many schools have lost between one and eight jobs, resulting in larger classes and pressure on timetables. “In some cases, the learner-teacher ratios have risen above 1:40. This places a tremendous burden on teachers and has a clear negative impact on the quality of learning,” she warned. There is also widespread confusion and frustration about the late and inadequate communication from the GDE. According to Prinsloo, the report’s findings indicate an urgent need to rethink funding, communication, and collaboration between schools and authorities.
- Read Solidarity’s press statement and listen to an interview with Prinsloo at Solidarity News
- Read too, Disaster for ‘rich’ public schools in Gauteng, at BusinessTech
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