Maile said the province's progress in expanding inclusive education should not lead to complacency.
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has acknowledged continued pressure on the province’s special school placement system, with 702 pupils currently awaiting placement.
The department said the pupils are being supported while they wait for spaces at appropriate special schools, but stressed that placement depends on more than the availability of classrooms.
Of the 702 pupils awaiting placement, 419 are currently attending school, while 153 are out of school and receiving support through Resource Centres alongside their families.
A further 52 pupils are in Special Care Centres, while 140 are expected to enter special schools offering the Technical Occupational Curriculum in 2027.
Autism accounts for the largest category among those awaiting placement, with 213 pupils, or 30.3%, followed by 164 pupils with severe intellectual disabilities, and 140 with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.
Another 112 pupils have specific learning disabilities.
The department said these four categories account for almost 90% of the identified placement demand.
“Placement is not determined simply by whether an empty classroom exists,” the department said.
It said placement also required appropriate specialist capacity, transport, hostel availability where necessary, therapeutic services, proximity to families, and a suitable match between a pupil’s needs and the services available at a particular school.
Gauteng has increased the number of special schools from 94 in 2012 to 131, representing a 39.4% increase.
The province currently has more than 2.8 million pupils across more than 2 200 public schools, with approximately 43 000 pupils attending special schools.
A further 9 735 pupils with disabilities are accommodated in ordinary mainstream schools, while 38 304 pupils identified as requiring additional support are receiving assistance through the Screening, Identification, Assessment, and Support (SIAS) framework.
This means more than 91 039 pupils are benefiting from inclusive education and support interventions across Gauteng.
The department is also preparing 69 mainstream schools to become Full-Service Schools. This would increase the number from 51 to 120.
Maile said the province’s progress in expanding inclusive education should not lead to complacency.
“Progress must never become an excuse for complacency,” he said, adding that the province needed to continue reducing barriers to education, expanding appropriate placement capacity, and strengthening mainstream inclusion.
The department said its long-term objective was to ensure specialist support followed pupils into mainstream schools where appropriate, rather than requiring them to leave their communities to access education.
Maile said the province remained committed to ensuring every child had access to education, regardless of disability or additional support needs.
Follow the story
