Education department needs R46bn for new classrooms and toilets at public schools

On Tuesday, the minister of basic education, Siviwe Gwarube, appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education to provide an update on the conditions at South Africa’s public schools.

Gwarube revealed that 90% of 22,381 schools were in fair, very good or good condition. Eight percent were in poor condition, and 2% in very poor condition. She said that 8,222 schools needed new classrooms, and 13,485 additional toilets needed to be constructed.

“We are talking about more than just buildings and new schools; we have a new phenomenon of overcrowded classrooms … or schools with not enough classrooms, and … this is something that we really need to resolve. Over 8,222 schools still require additional classrooms, and that is estimated at R32-billion.”

She continued: “13,485 schools require additional toilets to cope with the rising number of learners … and that would require about R14-billion.”

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) said that for the current financial year, it had only R15,285,220 for the Education Infrastructure Grant, which was less than what was needed to resolve these issues.

Learners carry a desk into a classroom at Kliptown Primary School in Soweto on 15 January 2025. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images)

Daily Maverick previously reported that in the face of overwhelming workloads, safety concerns and a lack of support, many teachers are reconsidering their future in the profession.

Read more: Breaking Point — why half of South Africa’s teachers are ready to walk away

Safe sanitation 

After missing the deadline to eradicate pit toilets by 31 March, the DBE told the committee that the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (Safe) programme, which was launched in 2018 to provide adequate sanitation facilities at schools, would be terminated at the end of this financial year. The programme has eradicated 3,235 pit toilets, with 137 still to be attended to.

Ramasedi Mafoko, the acting chief director for infrastructure at the DBE, said, “As the Safe initiative is coming to an end, we are no longer taking any new projects; we will give them over to the provincial education departments with a clear instruction that sanitation is an immediate priority. So any pit latrines identified are given over to the province.”

Read more: Minister of Basic Education admits failing to meet the deadline to eradicate pit toilets at SA schools

The DBE told the committee that 206 schools out of 22,381 had inappropriate structures, referring to ageing structures, schools built of mud or those that need repairing.

Turning to its successes, the DBE said it had helped schools get increased access to water and electricity, had built 1,344 new schools and provided 12,797 schools with libraries. DM