Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
29 May 2025 | 18:45 CAT

R4.40 a day isn’t enough to run a school, let alone realise the right to education. (Image-Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)

More than 4.25 million pupils in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape are being denied their constitutional right to education—short-changed by R2.5 billion in school funding.

According to national norms and standards, the poorest learners should receive at least R1,754 per child. Yet in provinces like the Northern Cape, some schools are receiving as little as R835—less than half the mandated amount.

“If it’s a no-fee school, that’s the only money they receive,” explained Jaco Deacon, CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools. “It boils down to just R4.40 per learner per school day. What can you buy with R4.40?”

Only three provinces—Western Cape, Limpopo and Free State—met the first statutory payment deadline of 15 May. The rest missed the deadline entirely, leaving schools cash-strapped.

“We’re talking about schools that cannot buy paper, ink, or cleaning materials. They can’t keep the lights on or the water running. And we are entering exam season,” warned Deacon.

The Western Cape and Gauteng stand out for allocating more than the minimum to their better-resourced schools (quintiles four and five), reflecting a stronger financial commitment to education. “In provinces like Free State, 94% of the education budget is consumed by salaries. That’s not sustainable,” Deacon stressed.

He further explained that despite education receiving nearly 20% of the national budget, funds earmarked for schools are not being delivered. “Treasury pays provinces on April 1st, ring-fencing the funds. So why are payments late or incomplete?”

The effects are devastating. In the Northern Cape, hostel subsidies have not been paid, leaving many rural learners unable to return to school. School nutrition programs are also in crisis, with just 40 cents allocated per learner for breakfast. “A hungry child cannot study,” said Deacon.

“This funding shortfall sends a painful message: that learners in poorer provinces are less valued,” he added.

Deacon criticised oversight failures at both provincial and national levels. “Our politicians are sleeping on duty. There are no consequences for non-compliance—even though it’s a breach of statutory law.”

As classrooms across struggling provinces brace for winter without electricity, heat or basic supplies, South Africa faces a hard truth: promises of equitable education are, for many, just that—promises.

Listen to the full inetreview on The Daily Round-Up with Annisa Essack and Jaco Dean.