Picture: The Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane
By REGINALD KANYANE
27 January 2026- The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said it unequivocally rejects and refutes claims that it has cut funding to Quintile 5 schools by 64%. The department said these claims are false, misleading, and reckless and represent a deliberate distortion of information.
The Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane said at no point has the department implemented a 64% reduction in school funding. Chiloane said accordingly, an interim funding realignment process was implemented, which was necessitated by severe budget reductions imposed by National Treasury, which have affected all provinces across the country.
“Previously, the GDE explicitly outlined the rationale, scope, and timing of the adjusted funding levels for Quintile 5 schools, effective from 1 April 2026, in line with the National Norms and Standards for School Funding gazetted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).
“Schools were formally notified through indicative budget allocation certificates issued in September 2025, providing ample notice and transparency. The department further clarified that this process does not constitute a budget cut, but rather realignment to nationally prescribed adequacy rates, particularly correcting the historical funding of certain Quintile 5 fee-paying schools,” he said.
Chiloane further said the current funding arrangement is a temporary stabilisation intervention designed to keep the system functional and compliant while the department manages a R444 million shortfall in the current financial year and a projected R160 million shortfall over the 2026 MTEF period. He added that despite these constraints, the GDE has prioritised the protection of classrooms, ensured that teaching and learning continue uninterrupted and honoured its commitments to Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) payments in full and on time.
“It must be stated clearly and without ambiguity, Gauteng’s financial pressures are the direct result of national budget cuts. The Department of Basic Education (DBE), under the leadership of the Democratic Alliance (DA), is fully aware of the funding pressures facing provinces, including Gauteng.
“The DBE has been repeatedly engaged on these matters, yet meaningful relief has not materialised, leaving provinces to absorb the impact. Attempts to deflect responsibility onto provinces, while ignoring the role of national departments in both policy-setting and budget allocations, are misleading and irresponsible,” said Chiloane.
He said the sudden outrage being manufactured by the DA is therefore disingenuous and politically opportunistic. Chiloane said it is dishonest to accuse provinces of cutting school funding, while remaining silent about the national budget cuts imposed by the National Treasury.
“The Department of Basic Education, under the Democratic Alliance, is fully aware of the financial challenges confronting Gauteng and other provinces, yet these challenges remain unresolved. If there is a petition to be delivered, it should be delivered to the Department of Basic Education, which is responsible for national funding norms and allocations, and which the DA itself leads.
“Provinces cannot be scapegoated for implementing national policy under constrained budgets that we do not control. The GDE remains committed to transparent communication, equitable funding and the protection of public education in Gauteng,” he said.
Chiloane said the GDE will not allow misinformation to undermine confidence in the public schooling system or be distracted from the real issue, the urgent need for sustainable national funding solutions.
The Guardian 