Over 1,000 EC schools facing closure amid low pupil turnout
The provincial Department of Educarion gazetted the proposal to shut down the schools in 2021, opening the process up for public comments.
Pupils crammed into an overcrowded classroom at Mnceba high school in the Eastern Cape, 18 April 2024. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - The Eastern Cape Department of Education says over 1,000 schools identified for closure across the province have become too expensive to run due to low pupil turnout.
The department gazetted the proposal to shut down the schools in 2021, opening the process up for public comments.
According to the provincial Education Department, some schools will be merged.
It says the move is set to improve the quality of education and ensure that every pupil benefits from its limited resources.
READ: 'Learning with 216 eyes watching you is hard' - EC schools battle long distances and overcrowding
Apart from the 1,142 schools that will be closed, the department will re-align over 390 schools as they have a lower number of pupils than required.
The department says primary schools must have an average of 150 pupils, while high schools are required to have over 500.
Meanwhile, education advocacy group, Equal Education, says many schools in the province are too far from communities, leaving some learners to walk long distances.
However, the department has not communicated when the identified schools will be permanently shut down or re-aligned.