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By Johnathan Paoli
The Gauteng Education department has moved to clarify confusion surrounding payment delays affecting service providers under the Extended National School Nutrition Programme, while also reaffirming its crackdown on illegally operating schools across the province.
Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona emphasised that meals for learners in no-fee-paying schools remain uninterrupted under the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which is funded through a national grant from the Basic Education department, but that the province’s demographics, changing socio-economic conditions and austerity consequences may affect the extended programme in statistically more privileged public schools.
“The rapid growth in the number of learners requiring nutrition support in Quintile 4 and 5 schools has placed significant pressure on provincial funding of the GDE Extended NSNP. This increase is directly linked to the rising socio-economic vulnerabilities faced by families who were previously self-sufficient. Compounding these pressures, budget reductions at the provincial level have created further strain on this essential programme,” Mabona said.
The province has in recent years introduced the Extended NSNP, a provincially funded scheme aimed at reaching disadvantaged learners in Quintile 4 and 5 fee-paying schools in light of shifting socio-economic conditions in Gauteng.
The department acknowledged that the rapid growth of the programme has placed pressure on provincial budgets, particularly as more families who were once self-sufficient now require state support.
Mabona said the department is working directly with affected providers to resolve the matter and remains committed to ensuring all outstanding payments are cleared and would continue to prioritise the daily provision of meals to learners and to support service providers so they can carry out their vital work.
He said the department is planning on reviewing its quintile system in order to introduce a more accurate and responsive categorisation of schools, recognising that the traditional distinction between fee-paying and no-fee-paying schools no longer fully reflects the financial circumstances of many families.
Alongside clarifying the nutrition programme, the department announced fresh action against illegally operating schools, warning parents and guardians about the risks of enrolling children in unregistered institutions.
Mabona said these schools operate outside the framework of the South African Schools Act and pose serious dangers to learners.
Learners at such schools are not captured in the Education Management Information System (EMIS), leaving them unfunded and without access to formal records.
Reports issued by unregistered schools are invalid, and teacher qualifications and learning standards are not subject to quality assurance.
For matric learners, the risks are even more severe with many being forced to write exams at designated centres and may not receive valid certification due to non-compliance, compromising their chances of entering tertiary institutions.
The department said its Independent Schools Directorate is actively working with communities, parents, and law enforcement agencies to close illegal schools and place affected learners in compliant public or registered independent schools.
Learners are also provided with remedial and catch-up programmes, while psychologists offer psychosocial support to help them adjust.
Over the past five years, about 1 200 learners have successfully transitioned from non-accredited institutions into recognised schools.
In addition to learner support, the department is pursuing legal action against owners of non-compliant schools.
Several cases have been opened with the South African Police Service in line with Section 46(4) of the South African Schools Act.
These include matters involving Boipuso School in Bloubosrand, Thakane School, Hope Fountain School, and Gateway Academy, all of which are currently before the courts.
To prevent the reopening of such schools, officials conduct routine monitoring of closed sites in partnership with ward councillors, community leaders, and law enforcement.
The department stressed its dual commitment to ensuring that every learner receives a nutritious daily meal and that all children are protected from exploitation by unregistered schools.
INSIDE EDUCATION