Parliament, Thursday, 14 May 2026 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela, has noted the findings contained in the Integrated School Data Collection Platform (ISDCP) Executive Summary presented by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), describing it as one of the most comprehensive education verification exercises undertaken in the democratic era.
Ms Maimela said the committee received the report on Tuesday and is particularly concerned by the report’s findings that more than 610 000 learners are undocumented, the majority of whom – over 360 000 – are South African nationals. “This points to a serious systemic challenge that extends beyond the education sector and requires coordinated intervention by the departments of Home Affairs (DHA), Social Development and Basic Education.
“We note the socio-economic factors, like learners being raised by grandparents because mothers work far away from the family home. No child should be denied dignity, access to services or future opportunities because they do not possess proper documentation,” she said.
Ms Maimela indicated that the committee will write to the DHA for a report on how it intends to remedy the situation. The committee will also liaise with the Portfolio Committee of Home Affairs on this critical issue.
The report, which covered 21,174 schools across eight provinces, verified more than 438,000 education employees and recorded over 11.7 million learners. It provides a detailed picture of the state of school infrastructure, learner documentation, workforce management and data integrity within the basic education sector.
The committee also expressed alarm at the scale of infrastructure backlogs identified in the report, including that 7,071 schools (33.4%) lack either municipal water supply or electricity connection. A further 15,299 schools (72.3%) do not have science or computer laboratories. “These conditions undermine the constitutional promise of equal access to quality education and continue to disadvantage learners in poor and rural communities,” Ms Maimela added.
The committee was also concerned about the non-participation of the Western Cape Education Department in the study, apparently on the instruction of the MEC for Education. “It is not the first time that the province has denied information to the committee, although in this regard they denied information for the process. This seems to be a chronic problem. And, with the gaps noted in the study, how do we hold this department accountable if we do not have information. Ultimately, it is our vulnerable learners that suffer,” emphasised Ms Maimela.
The committee welcomed the verification of educator attendance and the establishment of a digitally auditable system capable of reconciling school-level information with National Treasury payroll systems. However, concern was raised regarding the 22,409 personnel records flagged for discrepancies, including unmatched payroll records, duplicate entries and anomalies requiring further investigation. “The report demonstrates the importance of credible and verifiable data in strengthening governance and accountability in the education sector. Parliament cannot effectively exercise oversight without reliable information on the true condition of schools, staffing and learner support systems,” said Ms Maimela.
The committee further noted the findings relating to high levels of non-standard appointments, unresolved transfers and office-based staff exceptions, and said provincial departments will be expected to account on the measures being implemented to address these concerns.
Ms Maimela said the committee will engage with the Department of Basic Education, provincial departments and relevant stakeholders on the report’s findings and recommendations, with particular focus on undocumented learners, infrastructure delivery, payroll integrity and workforce accountability.
“The ISDCP exercise has created a verified national baseline from which government can plan, intervene and monitor progress. The responsibility now rests on all relevant institutions to act decisively on the findings in the interest of learners, educators and the broader education system,” Ms Maimela concluded. The committee will meet with provincial education departments and organised labour for further engagements on the study.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS JOY MAIMELA.
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