Gauteng education defends timing and funding cuts for Quintile 5 schools

The Gauteng department of education (GDE) has defended its decision to reduce funding for Quintile 5 schools, stating that the move was made in accordance with national funding guidelines and due to budget cuts from the National Treasury.

This comes after the DA accused the department of announcing the funding changes after the legislated deadline of September 30, a move the party says could make the decision unlawful.

GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department had met the required deadline.

“The indicative resource allocation certificates were signed by the head of department on September 30 as required by the national norms and standards for school funding,” Mabona said.

He said school governing bodies and principals were notified of the resource allocation certificates as per the guidelines.

For the 2026 academic year, funding for Quintile 5 schools - generally serving middle- to higher-income communities - will drop from R879 to R315 per pupil.

Mabona explained that the department had to align with the national department of basic education’s published adequacy amount for Quintile 4 schools, as part of efforts to manage financial pressures.

“Since the 2021 medium-term expenditure framework, departments have faced budget cuts due to fiscal consolidation by the National Treasury,” he said.

“There’s no additional funding received, and there remains a shortfall in the 2026/27 budget even after implementing the new funding mode.”

For several years, Quintile 5 schools received top-up funding to bring them closer to the level of Quintile 4 schools, but that support has now been withdrawn.

Mabona said the decision was taken to contain financial pressure and ensure the department adheres to national guidelines.

“The GDE has revised its decision to fund Quintile 5 schools using the adequacy amount of Quintile 4, and the allocation for 2026 will be R315 per learner,” he said.

While some schools have expressed concern that the change came after they had already finalised their 2026 budgets, Mabona said schools still have options.

“Schools will have an opportunity to apply for school fee increases and for fee compensation in 2026,” he said.

The department said it will continue to review spending priorities to manage the shortfall and prevent similar disruptions in future.

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