SAHRC releases School Readiness Monitoring Report

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says budget cuts are negatively impacting the provision of quality education in public schools already plagued by a lack of infrastructure.

The commission released its 2025 School Readiness Monitoring Report in Johannesburg on Wednesday. The initiative aims to assess the state of readiness of public schools at the beginning of the academic year, focusing on the right to basic education enshrined in section 29 of the Constitution.

COURTESY: SAHRC

The findings highlights systemic challenges that affect teaching and learning in all the provinces, such as crumbling infrastructure, delays in the provision of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM), severe overcrowding, and inadequate sanitation, particularly in rural provinces.

Despite significant government investment, the SAHRC said some schools still rely on pit latrines, and many schools lack clean water and functioning ablution facilities. Overcrowded classrooms in some instances exceeding 80 learners per class were documented alongside critical shortages of teaching and non-teaching staff.

‘’The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) was largely operational, but its implementation was uneven, especially in no-fee schools with inadequate kitchen infrastructure. Scholar transport also remains a concern, especially in remote areas such as Eastern Cape and parts of Limpopo and the Northern Cape, where delays and under-provisioning impact learner attendance and punctuality,’’ it said.

A new feature of the 2025 assessment was the intensified focus on boarding schools, where bad living conditions, inadequate boarding staff, and a lack of funding were flagged as urgent threats to learner dignity and wellbeing.

In addition, the Commission said it observed a persistent exclusion of undocumented learners from admissions systems, despite efforts by some school principals to accommodate them.

‘’While some provinces, such as Gauteng and the Western Cape, demonstrated relative administrative responsiveness and better infrastructure, the disparities between regions remain stark,’’ it said.

 

COURTESY: SAHRC

Nearly all schools reported to have damaged buildings, staff shortages, and shortages of text books. Many school libraries were found to not have text books.

COURTESY: SAHRC

The commission has made five recommendations that must be implemented in 60 days. The SAHRC recommended that the department make a comprehensive national infrastructure audit and intervention plan must be launched, prioritising schools identified during this monitoring exercise as severely compromised.

"These schools must be placed on a ring-fenced repair and sanitation upgrade programme, with urgent action taken in relation to those using pit latrines, operating without electricity, or built from asbestos materials," said SAHRC Commissioner Victor Mavhidula.

"Secondly, the DBE must initiate an emergency review of boarding school conditions, particularly in provinces where no-fee schools also bear the burden of maintaining hostels without dedicated funding.:

The third recommendation, the commission called for a staffing strategy to fill all critical educator and support staff vacancies, especially in multi-grade and overcrowded schools. The DBE has been advised to formalise interdepartmental coordination mechanisms, particularly between Basic Education, Social Development, and Home Affairs, to address challenges affecting undocumented pupils.

"Lastly, the DBE must implement a national accountability and monitoring framework, compelling both government departments and service providers to fulfil their obligations," he added.

The Department of Basic Education officials who attended the briefing acknowledged persistent challenges including infrastructure and overcrowding and pointed to budget cuts that negatively affects provision of education.

 

Done By: Mitchum George