Here's how many foreign nationals are enrolled in SA schools according to the DBE

Here's how many foreign nationals are enrolled in SA schools according to the DBE

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has attempted to set the record straight on claims about foreign nationals in South African schools. Parents have protested the exclusion of South African children from classrooms due to limited space, with the DBE stating that any claims of bias were “patently false”. Protests marred the opening weeks of the 2026 school year as parents and activists called for the prioritisation of South African children.…

Foreign learners make up 1.8% of South Africa’s public school enrolment, DBE says

By Charmaine Ndlela Foreign learners make up only 1.8% of South Africa’s total learner population, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said on Thursday, rejecting claims that children from other countries are “overrunning” local schools as misleading and unsupported by national enrolment data. “Such assertions are patently false and are not supported by any credible evidence,” the department said in a statement. ALSO READ: Next wave of infra…

Department Of Basic Education Dispels Claims Foreign Learners Are 'Overrunning' SA Schools

Johannesburg – The Department of Basic Education says it “wishes to correct misinformation and to firmly dispel claims that foreign learners are overrunning” South African schools. “Such assertions are patently false and are not supported by any credible evidence,” the department said in a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, 29 January 2026. The department made the comments amid tensions at Addington Primary School in Durban that esc…

When hate targets children: The cost of xenophobic misinformation

from NJABULO MKHIZE in Durban, South AfricaKwaZulu Natal BureauDURBAN, (CAJ News) – THE Department of Basic Education has dismissed as outright false the claims by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma and her so-called March-to-March movement that foreign learners are “overrunning” South African schools, warning that such rhetoric fuels dangerous xenophobia, vigilantism, and community hatred. In a statement issued