Gauteng to spend R1.13bn subsidising qualifying independent schools

The Gauteng education department has defended the government’s decision to allocate about R1.13bn to qualifying independent schools in the province, saying public funding of privately managed schools is permitted by the constitution and helps support the education of thousands of pupils.

During a media briefing on Sunday, MEC Lebogang Maile provided an update on the state of independent schools in Gauteng, amid ongoing debate over whether the government should subsidise institutions that are independently owned and managed.

Maile said the province has 1,083 operational independent schools catering for 379,727 pupils and employing 24,974 educators.

Of these schools, 279 receive government subsidies while 804 receive no operating subsidy.

Maile said the subsidy did not mean the government owned or controlled the schools.

“The constitution allows the government to subsidise independent schools, while the South African Schools Act provides the framework through which qualifying institutions may receive this support,” the department said.

Between the 2022/23 and 2025/26 financial years, the Gauteng department of education allocated about R4.3bn in transfers and subsidies to qualifying independent schools.

For the 2026/27 financial year, R1.13bn has been allocated, with about R621m going to the primary phase and R508m to secondary schools.

The department projects a similar allocation in each of the next two financial years.

Maile said the funding was not available to every independent school and that the funding model took into account the different fee levels and communities served by the schools.

He said lower-fee independent schools could qualify for higher government support than schools charging significantly higher fees.

The department said the funding also came with an obligation for schools to account for public money.

It monitors the financial planning, budgets, annual financial statements, banking and cash controls, payroll and assets of subsidised independent schools.

In the first term of 2026, 80 subsidised independent schools were monitored. By the end of the term, 274 of the province’s 279 subsidised schools had submitted annual financial statements.