By Palesa Matlala
- Soweto learners face overcrowded classrooms and poor facilities as 16 schools close, forcing many to drop out early.
- Teachers struggle with stress and burnout as Gauteng’s education department promises to reopen closed schools by 2026 amid delays and poor contractors.
About 16 schools have shut down in Soweto, forcing many teachers into early retirement and pushing learners to drop out.
Although 715,000 learners have registered for this year’s exams, almost 450,000 have dropped out since starting Grade 1 in 2014.
One of them is 18-year-old Sibusiso Mazibuko. He left school in March 2025 while repeating Grade 10.
“I used to wake up at 5am just to get to school early enough to get a seat,” he said. “We were 57 in one class, and our young teacher could not control us. If you sat in front, you got more attention. Imagine getting to school at 6:45am just to hear the lesson.”
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane confirmed the department knows about the 16 closed schools in Soweto. He said they plan to reopen them by the end of 2026.
Chiloane said classroom overcrowding remains a big challenge because of infrastructure backlogs. The department plans to speed up school construction projects.
“Several projects have not been completed because of poor workmanship and incompetent contractors,” he said.
He added that 18 schools are being built internally through funding from the National Treasury.
The Democratic Alliance said at least 41 public schools have closed because of unsafe buildings and poor planning by the department.
A teacher from Noordgesig Secondary School said she plans to retire early. “My mental health is deteriorating,” she said. “I have been admitted to Akeso twice this year because of fights, overcrowding and absenteeism. Learners fight over chairs and tables – our classes are a nightmare.”
Pictured above: MEC Matome Chiloane.
Image source: Palesa Matlala
