Amid the ongoing debate around the issue of foreign children enrolling in public schools, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has revealed there were 253,618 foreign learners and 3,240 foreign educators in public schools last year.

Gwarube was responding to a parliamentary question posed by IFP MP Liezl van der Merwe, who enquired about the total number of foreign nationals enrolled as learners and employed as educators in public schools.

She said the Department of Basic Education (DBE) records learner enrolment and educator employment data through provincial Education Management Information Systems, as submitted and verified by provincial Education departments.

“There are 253,618 foreign learners and 3,240 foreign educators in the public school sector in 2025.”

Gwarube’s response showed that Gauteng had the highest number of foreign learners at 128,054, followed by the Western Cape with 59,138 learners, Limpopo 16,566, and KwaZulu-Natal 14,929.

Mpumalanga led with the highest number of foreign teachers at 728, followed by Gauteng with 717, and KwaZulu-Natal with 706.

The number of foreign teachers and learners in public schools last year was made public amid a protest by March and March Movement at Addington Primary School earlier this week,claiming that South African learners are kept out of school because foreign learners are in the school.

The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department, which condemned the protests that saw police use teargas and water to disperse the protesting crowds, has confirmed that the school has 1,587 learners – with 1,000 being South African.

The protest was despite the published regulations of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, affirming that undocumented children in the country have a right to education.

“A learner may not be refused admission on grounds that constitute unfair discrimination, including grounds such as race, ethnic or social origin, nationality, colour, gender, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language, pregnancy, HIV and Aids status, or any other illness. The Act and these regulations apply equally to learners who are not citizens of the Republic of South Africa.”

Gwarube said the Constitution provides that every child in South Africa has a constitutional right to basic education.

She also said the Constitution provided that the best interests of the child are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child.

“These rights are read together with the constitutional guarantees of dignity and equality, which apply to all persons in the Republic. The South African courts have consistently confirmed that these constitutional rights apply to all children in South Africa, and are not limited by citizenship, immigration status, or the possession of identity or birth documentation.”

She added that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act expressly provides that a learner may not be refused admission due to the non-submission of required documentation and must be allowed to attend school.

The courts have further confirmed that denying children access to schooling based on migration or documentation status constitutes unfair discrimination.

“Accordingly, public schools are constitutionally and statutorily obliged to admit learners in line with these principles.”

Gwarube clarified that learner enrolment and educator employment were administered by the provincial departments (PEDs) while the national department provided national policy direction, oversight, and support to ensure that access to basic education was managed in a lawful, equitable, and sustainable manner.

“The DBE remains committed to working with PEDs to plan for learner demand, educator provisioning, and infrastructure requirements, while upholding the constitutional principles of equity, dignity, and non-discrimination in the public education system,” she said.

Makhi Feni, chairperson of Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, said the misinformation about foreign learners was not helpful.

“We have seen in some areas how people were mobilised around false information, specifically on the question of prioritisation, with claims that foreign children are taking spaces,” Feni said.

He also said the Constitution is clear, and the government is implementing court orders.

“There were court proceedings on whether children should be excluded. These children are here legally, and the question is why should children suffer for a situation they did not create?”

According to Feni, the police must play their role whenever there are illegal disruptions.

“People who interrupt schooling and the education of our children must be dealt with decisively. Instead of creating chaos, people must help address the real challenges confronting the Department of Education and education in this country,” he said.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

Source link