2025-w37 - 19 February 2025

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has made significant progress in addressing school infrastructure challenges, particularly regarding water and electricity. The current status is as follows:

• Schools without electricity supply: The School Register of Needs 2006 recorded 15,263 schools without electricity. By 2011, 902 schools were identified under the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI), a figure that was later revised to 373. All 373 identified electricity supply projects have been successfully completed.
• Schools without water supply: The School Register of Needs 2006 recorded 8,823 schools without access to water. By 2011, 1,117 schools were initially identified under ASIDI, a number later increased to 1,336. All 1,336 ASIDI water supply projects have been completed.
• Classrooms and Infrastructure Backlogs: According to the Education Facilities Management System (EFMS), there are currently 375,553 classrooms across 23,091 schools in the country. However, it is estimated that there remains a backlog of 15,933 classrooms. To address this, the DBE has introduced a self-built classroom initiative, enabling public schools to construct additional classrooms using allocated grant funding. The Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) framework has been amended to allow direct transfers of grant funding to public schools for classroom construction.

It is important to note that the implementation of infrastructure projects outside of the ASIDI and SAFE programmes are implemented by Provincial Education Departments. The implementation of infrastructure projects, including development, maintenance, security, water and basic sanitation projects in respect of public schools in a province, therefore falls under the responsibility of the revenant Provincial Education Department (PED). The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is the national department responsible for providing policy direction, support and oversight, while the PEDs are responsible for planning and executing infrastructure projects in public schools.

While MECs for Education are responsible for the provisioning of public school infrastructure in their respective provinces, they do not report directly to the Minister, Deputy Minister or the Department of Basic Education. This reality necessitates heightened collaboration and oversight to ensure that national priorities are effectively implemented at the provincial level. PEDs should not be returning funds to the National Treasury while public school infrastructure backlogs persist.

While the work done by the ASIDI and SAFE programmes are commendable, the DBE and PEDs acknowledge that more needs to be done. With the year-on-year increase in learner enrolment, the construction of new schools and ongoing maintenance of existing infrastructure remain critical to ensuring that every learner has access to quality education in a safe and conducive learning environment.

PEDs, in collaboration with the DBE where necessary, are continuously working to address infrastructure challenges in public schools. Plans for infrastructure development, maintenance and improvement are prioritised based on available funding and urgency. The timelines for implementation are determined by the relevant PED based on their infrastructure delivery plan.

To this end, the DBE is in the process of submitting a budget bid to the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) to supplement the EIG, assisting provinces in eliminating backlogs related to overcrowding, infrastructure deficiencies and inadequate classroom availability.

I must also highlight the recent developments announced as part of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, which outlined the integration of multiple conditional grants, including the EIG and the School Infrastructure Backlog Grant. While this reform aims to streamline resource allocation, it reduces the ability of the DBE to directly influence infrastructure delivery at a provincial level. Consequently, provinces will play an even greater role in the implementation of public school infrastructure projects, including sanitation projects.

Accountability mechanisms will need to be strengthened to prevent systemic negligence and to ensure the safety and dignity of all learners. In this regard, I intend to review the Regulations relating to Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure to ensure that they are clear, provide for clear oversight mechanisms and can lead to improvements in infrastructure delivery at a school level.

To further accelerate progress with regard to public school infrastructure, the DBE is actively engaging with the private sector and donor community to secure additional funding through public-private partnerships (PPPs), ensuring that existing backlogs may be addressed efficiently.

The DBE remains committed to ensuring that all schools in South Africa have access to essential infrastructure, fostering a safe and conducive learning environment for all learners.