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By Johnathan Paoli
The Gauteng Department of Education has defended its decision to slash subsidies for Quintile 5 schools from R879 to R315 per learner for the 2026 academic year, insisting the move complies with national funding norms and was necessary due to budget cuts.
Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said the revised allocations were finalised on 30 September, the statutory deadline for confirming resource allocations, and that schools were notified in accordance with national guidelines.
“Since the 2021 medium-term expenditure framework, departments have faced budget cuts due to fiscal consolidation by the National Treasury. There’s no additional funding received, and there remains a shortfall in the 2026/27 budget even after implementing the new funding model,” Mabona said.
According to the department, the reduction aligns with the adequacy amount applied to Quintile 4 schools, as the department seeks to balance its books in the face of declining real-term allocations from Treasury.
Quintile 5 schools, typically fee-paying and located in better-off areas, have for several years received a discretionary provincial top-up to close the gap between their funding and that of Quintile 4 institutions. That top-up has now been withdrawn.
While Mabona said the decision was necessary to contain financial pressure and ensure compliance with national guidelines, the move has provoked a storm of criticism from opposition parties, teachers’ unions, and school governing bodies (SGBs), who warn it will trigger higher fees, job losses and larger class sizes.
The Solidarity Teachers’ Network has written to the department urging an immediate review of the cuts, warning that the 66% reduction will push the education system to breaking point.
Johan Botha, head of the network, said teachers and support staff would bear the brunt of the cuts.
“Overcrowded classrooms, rising workloads, and increasing emotional strain will make it nearly impossible for teachers to maintain effective instruction. This will erode teaching quality and ultimately harm our children’s education,” Botha said.
In a strongly worded letter, Solidarity accused the department of procedural failures and loss of professional trust, noting that some schools only received their funding letters after 14 October, well beyond the required deadline.
Solidarity has called on Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane to restore funding to at least Quintile 4 levels pending consultation, release transparent data on how the cuts were determined, and ensure timely payments going forward.
The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) estimates that at least 750 Gauteng schools will be affected by the cuts. Deputy CEO Jaco Deacon said the reduction represents a loss of about R500 per learner per year, or roughly R600,000 annually for a medium-sized school with 1 200 pupils.
“Schools have already finalised their 2026 budgets based on previous allocations. Many now face the impossible task of finding hundreds of thousands of rand to balance their books,” Deacon said.
Gauteng FEDSAS manager Deon Lerm added that the assumption that all Quintile 5 schools are wealthy is false.
“At some schools, up to 35% of fees cannot be recovered. Combined with this sudden loss of more than 60% of the subsidy, the enormity of the provincial department’s decision becomes clear,” Lerm said.
He warned that schools may have to cut School Governing Body (SGB)-funded teaching posts and scale back on staff development, directly impacting classroom quality.
Equal Education researcher Mahfouz Raffee said while Quintile 5 schools are usually located in better-resourced communities, many still serve learners from low-income households.
“This decision will disproportionately affect poorer pupils attending those schools, as their parents will now face higher fees or deteriorating school services,” Raffee said.
The department said schools may apply for fee increases or compensation in 2026.
“We acknowledge the concerns raised, but the department must align with national norms and manage within available resources,” Mabona said.
The department said it would continue to review spending priorities to manage the shortfall and prevent similar disruptions in the future.
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