Only the Western Cape recorded an increase in schools, with eight additional schools. In the span of ten years, this province has only added 17 schools, says Fedsas. Stock photo (Photo: Shutterstock)
Fedsas, the school governing body organisation, warns that South Africa’s education planning is increasingly under pressure, with fewer and fewer schools having to accommodate more and more learners.
However, according to the organization, this trend is unsustainable.
Dr. Jaco Deacon, chief executive of Fedsas, says the government’s calculations in the education system do not add up.
According to the latest available data, South Africa currently has 22,259 public schools and 2,507 independent schools; this is 122 fewer schools than a year ago, while 54,454 more learners joined the system in the same period.
Only the Western Cape recorded an increase in schools, with eight additional schools. In the span of ten years, this province has only added 17 schools, says Fedsas.
In Gauteng the situation is even more alarming. In the past year, the province had 10,867 more learners, but five fewer schools. In the space of a decade, Gauteng has lost 17 schools, despite a student population that now stands at more than 2.3 million.
“Gauteng already has the largest average school size in the country – almost double the size of the average school elsewhere. This is an indictment against every MEC who has served in the past two terms.”
Over the past ten years, more than 592,000 learners have been enrolled in public schools, while 1,646 schools have disappeared from the system.
While public schools are declining, the independent school sector is showing strong growth. The number of independent schools increased from 1,786 to 2,507 over ten years – growth of 721 schools.
“It is safe to say that these schools play an important role in relieving pressure on the province’s education system,” says Deacon.
Almost half of these schools are in Gauteng, where the sector has grown by around 33% and currently serves more than 343,000 learners.
(Archive photo: Christel Cornelissen/Maroela Media)
Funding does not reach schools
Although education receives almost 24% of the national budget of R2.67 trillion and basic education receives R344.7 billion, Fedsas says the reality at school level looks different.
“Only about 7% of the education budget actually reaches the school gate in the form of a grant per learner,” while the remaining 93% is spent on salaries and administration.
According to the organization, this puts great pressure on schools and parents to finance education, especially because many provinces are struggling to meet their financial obligations and are using budgets to pay off old debts.
“The core problem is that there are too many officials in too many administrative structures without them making a real contribution to the quality of education at school level.”
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Parents give billions
According to Fedsas, parents play a big role in keeping schools running. Annually, they contribute around R60 billion in after-tax income.
There are less than 3,000 public schools that still charge school fees, and even there parents can apply for an exemption. However, state subsidies for these schools remain minimal: only R920 per learner per year for quintile 4 and R315 for quintile 5.
“Without school fees from parents, these schools would simply not be able to function,” warns the organization.
Rethink system
Fedsas says the current education model is unsustainable and urgent change is needed.
“Many of the current policy and financing models are outdated and unsustainable,” says Deacon.
The focus must shift from more spending to better management and capacity in schools.
“If we are really serious about the future of our children, we must stop just pumping more money into the system and instead start focusing on what really matters: more schools, more good teachers and more capacity where it makes the biggest difference – in the classroom.”