Learners at Raphela Secondary School in Orange Farm are taught standing because of a severe shortage of desks and chairs in five classrooms. The classrooms are overcrowded, the infrastructure is deteriorating, and the environment is not conducive for learning and teaching. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands urgent action by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to ensure the provision of additional classrooms, furniture delivery, and repairs in these decaying schools.
The DA Gauteng recently conducted an oversight inspection at schools in Orange Farm. We discovered that Raphela Secondary School caters to 1,290 learners and faces an alarming learner-to-educator ratio of up to 1:60. Toilets are not functioning due to a broken water pump. The classrooms are dilapidated, the ceiling is damaged, exposed electrical wiring, and structural damage from leaking toilets.
Furthermore, Jabulile Secondary School faces even worse conditions; three learners share one desk, and there is a shortfall of at least 250 desks and chairs. Educators themselves are without tables and chairs. To accommodate mid-year exams, the school is forced to rotate morning and afternoon sessions. These schools also
face issues of cable theft and vandalism.
See photos here, here and here.
During his 2025 State of the Province Address, Premier Panyaza Lesufi boasted that his government would invest R2.5 billion in 18 new schools. Despite this and MEC Matome Chiloane’s acknowledgement that over 300 new schools are needed to meet current demand, learners in Orange Farm continue to suffer.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would implement a triage system to categorise and prioritise schools in crisis. This system would focus on allocating resources efficiently, fast-tracking upgrades, and ensuring safe and dignified learning conditions.
The DA will continue to advocate for every learner to have a conducive schooling environment as guaranteed by our constitution and will hold the Gauteng Provincial Government accountable for any violations of this.