Despite the progress that has been made to improve South Africa’s public schools in the past decade, significant challenges remain, according to a new report released by the department of basic education.

The department monitors infrastructural shortages or backlogs at schools through the Education Facility Management System. Its latest report, released in July 2024, shows that 287 schools still have pit toilets as their only ablution facilities.

Many schools – especially in the Eastern Cape – still lack access to educational spaces such as libraries and computer centres.

It is 11 years since the minimum norms and standards for public schools were gazetted by then basic education minister Angie Motshekga. All public ordinary schools now have access to electricity, water as well as some form of ablution facilities, the report says.

There are about 15.4-million school-going children in South Africa and almost two-thirds of them have to walk to school every day, according Statistics SA’s 2023 General Household Survey.

Walking to school is not necessarily a bad thing but for many learners there are few alternatives. There is little in the way of school buses available to learners and public transport is equally limited for large parts of the country. The many learners who have to walk long distances over difficult terrain also put their safety at risk.