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The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Tuesday reiterated its concerns about the persistent gap between official reports on infrastructure that the Department of Basic Education presents in Parliament and the conditions the committee observes during oversight visits.

The department briefed the committee on school infrastructure backlogs, maintenance and upkeep, early childhood development (ECD) strategies, capacity and funding. It also briefed the committee on the implications of the President’s State of the Nation Address for the sector.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Joy Maimela, noted that members across political parties often receive a steady flow of complaints from communities about school infrastructure. She said that, as a result, the committee continues to interrogate the department’s data that suggests conditions are improving.

Members heard that 22 381 school sites across the country have access to water and electricity. Water is supplied through municipal connections, boreholes and other sources. However, infrastructure quality and access to key facilities remain uneven across provinces and schools. Members were further informed that only 32 per cent of schools have laboratories, 57 per cent have libraries and 49 per cent have computer centres, while 9 248 schools have no sports facilities.

The committee also learned that 43 677 additional classrooms are needed to address overcrowding, while an estimated 3 523 existing schools have inappropriate buildings. Addressing this backlog will require an annual investment of R57 billion, with only R49.9 billion available through the Education Infrastructure Grant over the 2026/27 MTEF period. This causes a significant shortfall. Members also heard that 13 per cent of the 22 789 schools in the country are in very poor to poor condition, leaving 87 per cent in fair to excellent condition.

The Chairperson said that the committee remains concerned that the data presented does not always reflect what is experienced on the ground, where many schools, particularly in rural areas, are reported to be often dilapidated, with visible structural damage and unsafe or uninviting learning environments. “The data that you submit as a department to the committee is difficult for us to accept as a true reflection, based on our own observations during oversight visits,” the Chairperson said. She stressed that the infrastructure backlog is more pronounced in poor communities and that continued neglect reinforces perceptions that disadvantaged communities are not being prioritised and that inequality is not being addressed meaningfully.

To strengthen accountability, the committee requested comprehensive, school-level information on infrastructure projects. This includes a list of schools previously identified as having infrastructure issues, the status of projects that have commenced and still under construction, project timelines, and any delays and the reasons for them.

The committee also expressed concern about learners having to use incomplete classrooms without occupation certificates. It noted that this situation is often driven by overcrowding. Ms Maimela warned that while such cases may be reflected as completed in official reports, the reality on the ground indicates otherwise. “This weakens trust in the department’s reporting,” said Ms Maimela.

The Chairperson, in turn, highlighted infrastructure maintenance as a major and recurring problem. She said there are widespread minor repairs that go unattended, while there appears to be limited accountability for the use of maintenance allocations. Ms Maimela further called for a credible monitoring and support system to track whether schools are using maintenance allocations appropriately and are receiving the necessary assistance.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela