By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The Eastern Cape Department of Education has infrastructure commitments of R4.069 billion against an available allocation of R2.319 billion, leaving an estimated R1.7 billion funding shortfall as 320 planned projects remain deferred and numerous disaster-damaged schools await rehabilitation.

In a statement outlining its mid-year performance, the department detailed progress and challenges across its academic, infrastructure, employment and extracurricular programmes.

The department said it remained committed to providing safe, functional and conducive learning environments despite significant fiscal constraints and the growing impact of natural disasters.

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For the 2026/27 financial year, it has been allocated R2.319 billion through the Education Infrastructure Grant for infrastructure development.

This includes R41.5 million received through the Infrastructure Programme Compliance Scoring Incentive System and R354.8 million transferred from the School Infrastructure Backlogs Grant to accelerate the eradication of pit latrines at schools across the province.

The statement separately refers to a R2.389 billion infrastructure programme divided among 24 strategic priorities, although it does not explain the R70 million difference between that amount and the stated R2.319 billion available allocation.

The largest allocations include R508 million for replacement schools and natural-disaster projects, R372 million for sanitation, R266 million for maintenance and additional classrooms, and R267 million for programme support and non-infrastructure activities.

A further R34.5 million has been allocated through the Early Childhood Development Grant for the construction and maintenance of 61 ECD centres during the financial year.

The department said disasters in May 2026 damaged 166 schools, with repairs and reconstruction expected to cost about R455 million.

The June 2025 floods, which claimed the lives of learners, damaged a further 169 schools and require an estimated R472 million for recovery.

However, the department has received only R170 million for disaster recovery, leaving numerous schools awaiting rehabilitation.

The unfunded commitments have affected the department’s infrastructure planning, resulting in the deferment of 320 projects.

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Although R90 million was allocated for planning during the current financial year, the department estimates that about R1.1 billion will be required to implement those projects in future years.

Overall infrastructure commitments now stand at R4.069 billion against the R2.319 billion allocation, resulting in the stated shortfall of approximately R1.7 billion.

Of this, R1.1 billion relates to deferred projects in the planning phase, while R572 million represents reductions affecting projects already under construction in stages five and six.

The department also reported a 0.6 percentage-point decline in Grade 12 performance during Term 1 compared with the same period in 2025.

Term 2 performance declined to 78%, approximately three percentage points below the corresponding 2025 result, prompting the department to call for more intensive academic support during the third term.

It said its intervention programme would focus on strengthening curriculum leadership, improving teacher development, expanding learner-support programmes and increasing monitoring and accountability.

On infrastructure delivery, the department said it completed 177 projects across all education districts during the 2025/26 financial year, including eight new and replacement schools.

It also completed 375 additional classrooms, 25 Grade R classrooms and 94 water infrastructure projects, significantly improving water access in rural communities.

A further 75 maintenance projects and 14 ECD maintenance projects were completed, while improved sanitation facilities, security fencing, electricity upgrades and specialist teaching spaces were delivered at several schools.

Twenty-two school-construction projects remained under implementation at the end of the financial year, providing a pipeline for delivery during 2026/27.

The department said the R354 million received through the School Infrastructure Backlogs Grant had been ring-fenced for the eradication of pit latrines at 123 schools.

However, its 2026/27 programme provides for sanitation infrastructure to be completed at 63 of the 123 targeted schools during the current financial year.

The total amount needed to eradicate pit latrines at all affected Eastern Cape schools is estimated at approximately R3.2 billion.

Between 2025 and June 2026, the department officially handed over 13 newly completed schools, representing an investment of more than R725 million.

The department also highlighted progress under its 2026/27 Annual Recruitment Plan, which covers posts at head office, district offices, schools, youth programmes, hostels and non-teaching support services.

The plan includes 6,683 youth-programme posts, 1,661 non-teaching support posts at schools and 883 hostel-support posts.

Through the Basic Education Employment Initiative, the department created 28,709 employment opportunities across all 12 education districts during the previous financial year.

To date, 975 school-based posts, including principals and Grade R practitioners, have been filled, while a further 1,145 posts have been advertised.

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The advertised posts include 788 departmental head positions, 210 deputy principal posts and 147 principal posts.

The department also celebrated the Eastern Cape’s performance at the 2026 South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod National Championships, where the province won 13 trophies and finished second overall behind KwaZulu-Natal.

At the separate National Education Excellence Awards, the province received seven awards, while all 12 Eastern Cape districts were recognised for achieving pass rates above 80% in the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations.

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