Gauteng education crisis: Over 3 000 learners unplaced as schools reopen

As schools across South Africa officially reopen for the 2026 academic year, a pressing issue looms in Gauteng: over 3 000 learners, predominantly in Grade 1 and Grade 8, still await placements. This situation has left many parents frustrated and frantically searching for available spaces in an education system already under strain.

The Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, acknowledged the mounting pressure during a recent event celebrating matric results. He indicated that if placements are not secured within the next ten days, the department may resort to temporary solutions to accommodate those learners. “We have to create these schools in the areas that we have reached capacity,” he explained. “If we put any more learners into them, we are really going to begin to collapse the system.”

The urgency to address this backlog comes as the Gauteng Education Department reported that approximately 2 900 learners remain unplaced. Among these, over 700 are in Grade 1. Steve Mabona, a spokesperson for the department, noted that factors contributing to this situation include late applications, some parents not applying at all, and others who, having received placements, later realised they could not afford the school fees.

Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, underscored that Gauteng is the province most affected by this crisis, attributing part of the challenge to an influx of families migrating to the area in search of work opportunities. “While parents may be anxious about the unplaced learners, we will not stop until every single learner is placed in a school,” she assured.

The department is currently working with schools to increase their capacities and has initiated plans to establish new schools expected to be operational by the end of January. However, the ongoing demand raises concerns over the sustainability of the current education system in the province.

Parents are being urged to remain patient as efforts continue to accommodate all unplaced learners, with officials promising that solutions are on the horizon amidst a system strained by increasing demand.

As the new school term begins, thousands of Gauteng parents are left wondering where their children will begin their education, highlighting urgent challenges in the province's schooling system.

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Saturday Star