250,000 Foreign Learners in Public Schools: The Data That Has Reignited South Africa’s Education Debate
A single parliamentary reply has reopened one of South Africa’s most sensitive policy fault lines: who public education is really serving, and at what cost.

In a formal response to legislative questions, Guarab, Minister of Basic Education, confirmed that 253,618 international learners were enrolled in South African public schools during 2025.

Alongside them, 3,240 foreign teachers were employed in state schools, many in posts not classified as critical skills.

Those figures landed like a spark in dry grass.

They arrived at a time when overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and desperate parents dominate the national education conversation.

For many South Africans, the question is no longer abstract or ideological.

It is deeply personal: Will my child get a place at school?

What the Numbers Actually Show
According to the Department of Basic Education, the 253,618 foreign learners were registered through the Learner Unit Record Information and Tracking System, meaning these are not estimates or political talking points, but officially verified enrollments.

The data shows clear geographic concentration:
Gauteng recorded the highest number of international learners, reflecting its status as the country’s economic hub.

Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal followed closely, particularly in metropolitan areas where migrant families cluster around job opportunities.

Most of these learners come from neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Lesotho.

Under South African law and constitutional principles, every child within the country’s borders has the right to basic education, regardless of nationality or documentation status.

That legal position is not in dispute.

What is disputed is whether the system can absorb this reality without disadvantaging South African children.

Classrooms Under Pressure
The minister’s disclosure comes amid reports that thousands of South African learners were unable to secure school placements at the start of the academic year.

In Gauteng alone, more than 20,000 learners were reportedly without school placements when the term began.

Emergency measures, including mobile classrooms and late-year placements, were rushed in to contain the fallout.

Parents describe waiting lists stretching into months, children starting school late, and families being redirected to institutions far from home.

In working-class communities, this often means additional transport costs or children dropping out altogether.

Educators confirm that classroom overcrowding has reached crisis levels, with student–teacher ratios exceeding 35:1 in some areas.

Under these conditions, individualized attention becomes nearly impossible, and overall academic outcomes suffer.

For many families, the revelation that a quarter-million foreign learners are enrolled in public schools feels less like a humanitarian success and more like evidence of systemic overload.

The Teacher Question
Equally controversial is the employment of 3,240 international teachers in public schools, many of them in roles not designated as scarce or critical skills.

While some foreign educators teach mathematics and science—subjects where shortages do exist—others reportedly occupy general teaching posts for which qualified South African teachers remain unemployed.

This has triggered sharp reactions from teacher unions and unemployed graduates who argue that local educators should be prioritized, particularly given South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate.

The department has countered that international teachers often fill positions in remote or underserved areas where local teachers are reluctant to relocate.

In some rural provinces, foreign educators are said to be keeping schools operational where posts would otherwise remain vacant.

Still, critics argue that this explanation does not justify foreign appointments in urban schools where local candidates are readily available.

Language, Integration, and Learning Outcomes
Beyond space and staffing, teachers report additional challenges linked to integration.

Many international learners require extra language support, particularly in English and local languages used as mediums of instruction.

While schools attempt to provide bridging programs, these require resources—time, staff, and funding—that are already stretched thin.

Teachers describe classrooms where lessons slow down to accommodate diverse linguistic needs, sometimes frustrating both local and foreign learners.

Social integration can also be difficult, particularly in overcrowded schools where tensions spill into playground dynamics and classroom discipline.

At the same time, principals acknowledge success stories.

Some foreign learners excel academically, progress to tertiary education, and contribute positively to South African society.

These cases complicate any attempt to frame the issue in purely negative terms.

The Legal and Moral Crossroads
Civil society organizations have moved quickly to defend the constitutional principle at stake.

Human rights groups warn that placing caps on foreign learners or tightening documentation requirements could amount to discrimination against children, many of whom have lived in South Africa for most of their lives.

They argue that education is not a favor, but a right—and that excluding children from school risks creating a marginalized, uneducated underclass with long-term social consequences.

On the other side, parent groups and opposition politicians argue that rights without resources become empty promises.

They insist that prioritization mechanisms are necessary to prevent the collapse of an already fragile system.

This tension—between legal obligation and practical capacity—sits at the heart of the debate.

Government Response and Policy Shifts
Minister Guarab has acknowledged the strain and called for a review of admission policies to better balance openness with national priorities.

Key proposals under discussion include:
Expanded infrastructure investment, with over R20 billion earmarked for new school construction and upgrades in the 2026 fiscal plan.

Improved teacher training focused on multilingual classrooms.

Partnerships with NGOs to provide bridging and integration programs for international learners.

Enhanced recruitment incentives to attract South African teachers to underserved areas.

More controversial ideas—such as caps on international enrollment or stricter verification requirements—remain politically sensitive and legally complex.

Parliament is expected to debate possible amendments to the South African Schools Act, a process likely to trigger constitutional scrutiny and fierce public debate.

Voices From the Ground
Parents in inner-city Johannesburg express frustration and fear.

“Our children are starting school late while classrooms are already full,” one mother said.

“We are not against anyone. We just want our children to come first.”
Migrant parents respond with equal urgency.

“Our children did not choose borders,” a Zimbabwean parent explained.

“They live here, they grow up here, and they want to contribute.”
Schools themselves are caught in the middle, forced to implement national policy while managing local anger and resource shortages.

A Broader Migration Reality
South Africa is home to over two million foreign-born residents, making education one of the primary spaces where migration and public policy collide.

Globally, host countries face similar tensions as mobility increases.

Education systems become frontline institutions for integration, but also pressure points for public resentment when resources are limited.

South Africa’s challenge is uniquely acute due to historic inequality, uneven service delivery, and high unemployment.

What Comes Next
Education experts suggest that long-term solutions must go beyond admissions policy.

They advocate for:
Accelerated school-building programs through public–private partnerships.

Expanded digital learning to reduce classroom congestion.

Transparent enrollment criteria that prioritize proximity and capacity rather than nationality alone.

Clear communication to prevent misinformation and xenophobic narratives from taking hold.

Minister Guarab’s disclosure has forced the issue into the open.

Whether it leads to constructive reform or deeper polarization now depends on how policymakers, communities, and courts respond.

What is clear is that education cannot carry the burden of migration policy alone.

Without broader social and economic planning, schools will remain pressure valves for unresolved national challenges.

For South African families navigating overcrowded classrooms and uncertain admissions, this debate is not about ideology.

It is about access, fairness, and the future of their children.

And for policymakers, the question is unavoidable: how to uphold constitutional rights without collapsing the very system meant to protect them.