More than 16,000 Gauteng parents, teachers and residents have signed a petition demanding the reversal of controversial school budget cuts, as the Gauteng Department of Education admitted that infrastructure maintenance funds for the current financial year have already been exhausted, leaving schools scrambling to keep basic services running.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it has formally submitted the petition to the Gauteng Education Portfolio Committee, demanding an immediate reversal of what it describes as a 64% reduction in budgets allocated to Quintile 5 public schools.
The party said the cuts are already having severe consequences for schools across the province, with principals and governing bodies struggling to maintain basic services, including electricity, sanitation, infrastructure repairs and learner support programmes.
Across Gauteng, schools are battling to keep the lights on, maintain basic infrastructure, pay for municipal services, repair toilets, provide learner support programmes and sustain extracurricular activities.
The growing financial strain comes amid increasing concern over mounting debt at Gauteng schools. Recently, The Star reported that several public schools across the province collectively owed more than R600 million in unpaid municipal debt, with some schools facing threats of water and electricity disconnections due to spiralling unpaid accounts.
School governing bodies previously warned that rising operational costs, coupled with declining provincial support, were pushing many institutions towards financial collapse.
The DA launched the petition in January 2026 after visiting several schools and documenting what it describes as a deepening financial crisis in public education.
In the petition, the party is calling for urgent intervention, including the reversal of the 64% cuts, protection of school budgets from further reductions, prioritisation of frontline education spending, and structured engagement with affected schools and communities.
Michael Waters, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Education, said the scale of public support reflects growing anger over the funding model.
“The people have spoken, and their message is clear: reverse the cuts now!” Waters said.
He added that the situation reflects a broader failure in education funding priorities, warning that schools and parents were being forced to absorb the impact of what he described as reckless financial decisions.
“It is unacceptable that the Gauteng Provincial Government expects schools and parents to absorb the damage while ordinary families are already struggling with a severe cost-of-living crisis,” he said.
Waters said the DA believed the cuts were directly affecting classrooms, learner safety and educational quality, adding that the impact would be felt for years if not addressed.
“The education of our children is non-negotiable - it is a right that must be protected at all costs,” he said.
The growing backlash comes as The Star has seen an internal Gauteng Department of Education letter sent to principals and School Governing Bodies confirming that infrastructure maintenance budgets for the 2025/26 financial year have been fully depleted.
The letter states: “We regret to inform you that the allocated budget for infrastructure maintenance for the current year has been fully depleted. As a result, the Department of Education Head Office will not be able to respond to requests for material work or maintenance projects at schools until further notice.”
The department further advised schools to explore alternative arrangements, including external funding and cost-saving measures, while prioritising urgent repairs that may pose health and safety risks.
Responding to questions, the Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Onwabile Lubhelwana, speaking on behalf of Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile, said Quintile 5 schools had previously received additional support beyond what was prescribed under national funding regulations.
“The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) can confirm that Quintile 5 schools received funding at rates aligned to Quintile 4 schools as an administrative support measure by the Gauteng Department of Education,” Lubhelwana said.
“However, this arrangement was not legislated under the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF) due to increasing fiscal pressures and budget constraints.”
Lubhelwana said the department had since aligned allocations with nationally prescribed funding targets published in Government Gazette No. 54180 dated 20 February 2026.
“Accordingly, this was implemented to ensure equitable, sustainable, and legally compliant distribution of limited resources, while prioritising no-fee schools and learners from poorer communities,” he said.
He added that fee-paying schools were encouraged to apply for compensation linked to fee exemptions granted to parents and could also supplement funding through school fees and fundraising initiatives.
The Star
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