JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile says his R70.9 billion budget has to focus on key areas due to an influx of new school pupils in the province.
MEC Lebogang Maile tabled the 2026/27 Budget Vote of the Gauteng Department of Education at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Tuesday.
This is an increase of R2.9 billion compared to the previous budget of R68 billion in 2025/2027.
According to Maile, Gauteng serves over 2.86 million pupils across 3 320 schools, with over 2.82 million enrolled in ordinary schools and 46 421 in special schools.
Of these, he said, over 2.43 million pupils are in public schools.
“These numbers reflect both the scale of our constitutional responsibility and the growing pressure on our education system,” Maile said.
Maile said they also needed to take into account issues arising from infrastructure backlogs and growing learner demand, particularly in township, informal settlement and inner-city schools.
As a result, the department had to think differently about education delivery, infrastructure planning and long-term sustainability,” he said.
He said the department has allocated R2.7 billion towards infrastructure investment and a broader R3.7 billion towards education modernisation initiatives, including school reorganisation, district support, principal development and the expansion of Schools of Specialisation.
These interventions, he said, remain critical in changing the physical and structural conditions under which teaching and learning take place.
“We are fully aware that infrastructure remains one of the biggest constraints facing public education in Gauteng. While these allocations will not resolve all historical backlogs immediately, they represent an important step towards easing overcrowding and improving learning conditions in some of our most affected communities,” Maile said.