WCED accused of spinning infrastructure woes into a success story

THE 19% enrolment growth in public schools between 2015 and 2024 placed pressure on school infrastructure and staffing resources, says the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). 

To address the demand driven partly by in-migration from other provinces, the WCED said it was ramping up infrastructure investment.

Speaking during a meeting of the Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Education this week, WCED officials said the province recorded a 2.3% average increase of  enrolment in public schools annually. The department currently serves more than 1.3 million learners across 1,887 schools.

In response to infrastructure demand, the WCED has launched its Rapid School Build Programme, with a hope to deliver 26 new school projects over the next three years.

According to the department, a further 290 new classrooms and 21 Grade R classrooms are also planned for the same period.

The department said 59 school maintenance projects are currently under construction for the 2025/26 financial year, with an additional 26 projects in planning.

Leon van Wyk, DA Western Cape spokesperson on education, said the department had maintained discipline in budget allocation despite rising costs.

“From 2022 to 2025, the WCED has kept employee compensation at a sustainable 71% to 72% of its budget — the lowest among major provinces,” said Van Wyk.

“This has allowed us to invest more in critical services like textbooks, learner transport, nutrition programmes, and infrastructure.”

Van Wyk contrasted this with other provinces, stating that KwaZulu-Natal had spent over 83% of its education budget on salaries over four consecutive years, leaving less for other education needs.

  “To ensure every learner has a seat in a safe, functional classroom, we must continue to prioritise infrastructure spending. It’s not optional — it’s essential.”

However, ANC Western Cape leader of the opposition, Khalid Sayed, said the DA’s narrative “attempts to spin the Western Cape Education Department’s infrastructure crisis into a success story”.

In a statement, Sayed said: “The WCED has had more than enough time to plan for the enrollment increase. Instead, what we have seen is delayed school builds, under-resourced township and rural schools, and an overreliance on rapid or modular builds.”

 Social service and educational organisation, Ilitha Labantu,  also raised concerns about staffing reductions.

The organisation cited figures from the WCED indicating that 2,407 teacher posts had been cut across the province as of January.

These cuts took place in the context of a R3.8 billion projected shortfall in the education budget over the next three years.

According to Ilitha Labantu, nearly 70% of the schools affected by the staff reductions were no-fee schools that serve township and vulnerable communities, meaning. Schools in areas such as Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain reported class sizes exceeding 50 learners per teacher.

In a statement, Ilitha Labantu said: “While the department promotes LED lighting, fencing upgrades, and solar installations at some schools, learners in township communities continue to endure unsafe, overcrowded, and dilapidated school infrastructure.”

Ilitha Labantu cited recent incidents, including the abduction and rape of a 14-year-old learner in Langa, and the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old learner from Samora Machel while walking to school, as examples of the vulnerability learners face.

Both the ANC and Ilitha Labantu called for the WCED to release a detailed breakdown of infrastructure and staffing backlogs by district.

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