IN CONVERSATION WITH SERGIO ISA DOS SANTOS MPL- DA SHADOW MEC FOR EDUCATION

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has come under fire after revelations that it spent R1.452 billion over five years on temporary mobile classrooms and ablution facilities. While these structures were meant to be short-term solutions, they have increasingly become permanent fixtures in schools, raising concerns about the department’s long-term infrastructure planning. Critics argue that this expenditure could have funded eight to ten permanent schools, each costing around R175 million, offering learners safe and dignified environments.
The scale of reliance on mobile classrooms is staggering. Between 2022/23 and 2024/25 alone, the GDE delivered 2,399 mobile classrooms, with some schools receiving allocations that resemble entire campuses. For example, Tshepong Secondary School received 45 mobile classrooms, Obed Nkosi Secondary School received 42, and Kutmela Molefe Satellite School received 31. When schools require dozens of mobile units, the line between temporary and permanent infrastructure blurs, exposing learners to unsafe and inadequate facilities.