Gauteng school overcrowding is deepening, with some public school classrooms now holding up to 70 pupils per teacher, according to figures presented by the provincial education department. The pressure reflects years of fast enrolment growth, migration into the province and infrastructure delivery that has not kept pace.

The latest figures show 723 schools are affected by overcrowding, while the province faces a shortage of about 5 554 classrooms. The department says the crisis is also feeding teacher burnout, weak literacy outcomes and recurring learner placement pressures at the start of each academic year.

Gauteng school overcrowding strains classrooms and teachers

The Gauteng Department of Education says learner numbers have more than doubled over three decades, rising from about 1.4 million in 1995 to more than 2.8 million in 2026. Yet school infrastructure has not expanded at the same pace, leaving many township and inner-city schools severely overcrowded.

According to the source material, classes of 60 to 70 pupils per teacher are now common in some schools. The department says 723 schools are affected and estimates the province needs at least 200 new schools to stabilise the system. Only 48 schools were built or refurbished between 2015 and 2024, far below the scale of demand.

The pressure appears to be continuing on the ground. In reporting published on 9 April 2026, SABC News said parents at Bovet Primary School in Alexandra complained of severe overcrowding, with some alleging classes had reached 80 learners.

Migration, placements and budgets add to the pressure

The source attributes much of the demand surge to migration into Gauteng, which it says adds about 50 000 pupils to the system each year. That, in turn, has left tens of thousands of learners without confirmed placement at the start of the year and placed extra strain on sanitation, learning materials and classroom space.

This broader strain is also reflected in admissions. SABC News reported in January 2026 that 4 858 learners were still waiting for placement in Gauteng schools for the 2026 academic year, citing the provincial department. Earlier, in an official statement issued on 12 February 2025, the Gauteng Department of Education said it had identified hundreds of high-pressure schools during the admissions process.

Teacher supply is another constraint. The source says Gauteng needs 1 173 additional teaching posts in the short to medium term, at an estimated cost of R606 million, while a rising wage bill is already consuming a large share of the education budget.

Responses and next steps

The department’s 2025/2030 strategic plan proposes more infrastructure delivery, stronger teacher support and curriculum interventions focused on language, mathematics, science and technology. It also aims to expand technical schools to better prepare pupils for the labour market.

In the source material, the department says: “We are committed to improving the quality of teaching and learning in Gauteng, but we recognise that as the provincial government, we cannot achieve this on our own.” That response captures the scale of the challenge facing Gauteng school overcrowding as enrolment continues to rise faster than classrooms, staffing and budgets.