The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has financially committed to strengthen mathematics, science, technology, reading development and technical education in schools.
As a result, the GDE has set aside R1.2 billion towards improving performance in those critical subjects, said Gauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile.
The department also plans to direct R3.7 billion towards education modernisation initiatives, including school reorganisation, district support, principal development and the expansion of schools of specialisation.
Maile yesterday delivered his department’s R70.9 billion budget for the 2026/27 financial year, which represents an increase of R2.9 billion, or 4.3%, compared to R68 billion in 2025/26.
According to the MEC, the increase in the budget allows for the education department to strengthen key interventions while maintaining focus on quality, access and equity.
He noted that the R1.2 billion forms part of interventions aimed at improving learner outcomes across all schooling phases. “The department continues to implement focused interventions to improve literacy, numeracy and subject performance, particularly in gateway subjects.”
The Gauteng province currently serves 2.86 million learners across 3 320 schools, with 2.82 million learners enrolled in ordinary schools and 46 421 learners in special schools. Some 2.43 million of the learners are in public schools.
Earlier this year, Maile revealed the country’s economic powerhouse has an estimated shortfall of 370 teachers in critical technology subjects.
The shortage, he said, caused persistent challenges in the province’s education system.
He revealed that teacher quality in Gauteng is uneven, driven by shortages of qualified educators in key subjects (especially maths, science and technology), overcrowding and resource constraints.
Maths, science and engineering are considered as critical building block subjects for skills needed for ICT and STEM professions. Similarly, teachers qualified to impart knowledge in these subjects are an important factor in education.
To address some of these challenges, Maile said the GDE has developed and adopted a five-year strategic plan, placing a modern education system at the centre of the plan’s priorities.
Yesterday, he stated the GDE will continue with the modernisation of the education landscape to address overcrowding and infrastructure backlogs, adding that such interventions remain critical in changing the physical and structural conditions under which teaching and learning takes place.
“We are fully aware that infrastructure remains one of the biggest constraints facing public education in Gauteng. While these allocations will not resolve all historical backlogs immediately, they represent an important step towards easing overcrowding and improving learning conditions in some of our most affected communities.”
According to Maile, the GDE will also continue to invest in innovation and institutional capacity through its entities. “The department allocates R288 million to the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and R383 million to the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance to strengthen science education, innovation, leadership development and educator capacity-building.”
Meanwhile, for the sport, arts, culture and recreation portfolio, a budget to digitise and improve library facilities has also been allocated.
This, as libraries continue to play a strategic role in building a reading culture and bridging the digital divide, said the MEC.
In the 2026/27 budget vote, the department has allocated R297.6 million towards library and archival services, including R194.8 million transferred to municipalities to sustain and modernise community library services, he stated.
“We are investing R2 million towards 160 computers for libraries and R5.1 million towards reading programmes aimed at strengthening literacy across Gauteng communities.”
Share
