The Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, claimed that the education system is facing severe pressure as budget cuts begin to curb education outcomes.
The minister further claimed that by 2027, most South African provinces will not be able to afford their budgets Cape {town} Etc reports.
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On Wednesday 25 September, Gwarube held a press briefing to ‘confront a harsh reality.’ She stated that the recent budgetary pressure has been oncoming for years as aggressive budget cuts, economic stagnation and fiscal mismanagement across the government have began to take their toll.
She goes on to say that these cuts should not merely be viewed as fewer numbers on a spreadsheet as they practically result in fewer teachers, reduced textbooks and less administrative support staff.
When combined these issues ultimately result in the reduction of learning and teaching time in classrooms and thereby education outcomes are negatively impacted.
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In the Western Cape in particular, teaching posts have been reduced for 2025 which will result in fewer teachers in a school, larger class sizes, reduced individual attention and ultimately poorer educational outcomes.
Many other provinces are also grappling with these painful choices and will inevitably have to implement expense reduction solutions.
‘We have committed ourselves to doing everything we can to stabilize system and have appealed to provinces to retain the basket of posts, in order to not compromise education outcomes’ states Gwarube.
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Gwarube refers to the issue as a ‘pending national crisis’ which affects learners, teachers, principals and the broader community.
She expects that
- 2025/26 Financial Year, 4 provincial departments will battle to cover their budgets
- 2026/27 Financial Year, 5 provinces will battle to cover their budgets.
- 2027/28 Financial Year, 7 provinces will not be able to afford their budgets.
Nationally, the number of learners within the education system has increased by approximately 292,820 over the last five years.
The learner / educator ratios have also steadily increased across most provinces.
When commenting on the long-term vision, the minister said ‘while fixing the economy is critical, we also need to rethink how we invest in education. Education is not just another expenditure—it is an investment in our country’s future. A well-educated population is the foundation of a prosperous, competitive, and innovative economy. Without it, we cannot hope to address our unemployment crisis or compete in the global economy.’
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