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File image: Classroom with desks and chairs.
The Director General of the Department of Basic Education Mathanzima Mweli says the majority of public schools are geared to accommodate learners with minor disabilities and that is where those learners should be enrolled.
A team from the Department briefed Parliament’s Committee on Education and Creative Industries on schools accommodating learners with disabilities from the level of Early Childhood Development and primary to high school level, as well as training for educators.
The Department says currently over 127 000 learners, with severe intellectual disabilities, are in special schools. It says nearly 10 000 are in community special care centres and just over 67 000 learners with minor disabilities are in ordinary public schools.
Additionally, more than 6 000 educators have been trained to work with learners with disabilities.
Mweli says public schools are set up in a way to accommodate learners with disabilities.
Mweli adds, “I have established a task team to increase the placement of learners. Children with minor disabilities must go to public ordinary schools because we made them accessible for wheelchairs and other minor disabilities. Only learners with severe disabilities must be referred to institutions that cater for learners with disabilities. The rest, must go to ordinary public schools.”
This week the Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli continues conducting #EducationDistrictSupport visits in the Eastern Cape. Today he is at the OR Tambo Coastal Education District and is currently meeting the district and circuit officials… pic.twitter.com/KaMvogmnWF
— Dep. Basic Education (@DBE_SA) July 29, 2025
