WCED accused of spinning infrastructure woes into a success story

THE 19% enrolment growth in public schools between 2015 and 2024 placed pressure on school infrastructure and staffing resources, says the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).

- MANDILAKHE TSHWETE

To address the demand driven partly by in-migration from other provinces, the WCED said it was ramping up infrastructure investment.

Speaking during a meeting of the Provincial Parliament's Standing Committee on Education this week, WCED officials said the province recorded a 2.3% average increase of enrolment in public schools annually. The department currently serves more than 1.3 million learners across 1,887 schools.

In response to infrastructure demand, the WCED has launched its Rapid School Build Programme, with a hope to deliver 26 new school projects over the next three years.

According to the department, a further 290 new classrooms and 21 Grade R classrooms are also planned for the same period.

The department said 59 school maintenance projects are currently under construction for the 2025/26 financial year, with an additional 26 projects in planning.