THE FUSE

Gauteng’s growing learner population is placing increasing pressure on teachers and schools. Learner enrolment in the province has more than doubled, from 1.4 million in 1995 to more than 2.8 million in 2026, with overcrowding in some township and inner-city schools reaching 60 to 70 learners per teacher. The province also faces a shortage of qualified educators in Mathematics, Science and Technology, with an estimated shortfall of 370 teachers in key technical subjects.