Gauteng Learners Left Behind in Tech Education as Schools Face Severe Teacher Shortages

The province’s tech ambitions are crashing into a harsh classroom reality

In a world rapidly shaped by AI, automation, and coding, thousands of Gauteng learners are being left on the sidelines. The reason? Their schools simply don’t have enough teachers or in some cases, even computers to deliver essential tech subjects like Coding and Robotics, Information Technology (IT), and Computer Applications Technology (CAT).

A recent response by Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane to the Provincial Legislature revealed the scope of the crisis: the province is short 300 teachers for Coding and Robotics, 36 for IT, and 35 for CAT. That’s over 370 missing educators in total each vacancy translating to a classroom full of students without access to the tools that could shape their futures.

No tech teachers, no tech future

As pressure mounts to prepare the next generation for the digital economy, many schools are struggling with the basics. According to DA Education spokesperson Michael Waters, the absence of qualified tech teachers is more than a bureaucratic issue, it’s an urgent economic threat.

“Learners are being left behind in a digital world that’s moving on without them,” Waters said. “Without immediate investment in teacher recruitment and infrastructure, Gauteng will continue to fall short of its own goals.”

He’s not exaggerating. National policy mandates that coding education begin from Grade R. Yet in some parts of Gauteng, there are still schools where students have never touched a computer, let alone written a line of code.

Infrastructure problems compound the crisis

Beyond the teacher shortage, the situation is worsened by a lack of school infrastructure. Many public schools don’t have access to stable electricity, working computer labs, or internet connectivity making tech education impossible, no matter how motivated the teachers may be.

In communities like Orange Farm and Daveyton, principals report being forced to skip large parts of the curriculum. Teachers rely on textbooks to explain how coding works, even when there’s not a single functioning PC in the room.

“Talking about the Fourth Industrial Revolution while some schools still have chalkboards and no power is absurd,” said one frustrated teacher who asked not to be named.

Social media asks: ‘Where is the future we were promised?’

The public reaction on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) has been swift and sharp. Parents, tech professionals, and even university students have weighed in.

“Gauteng wants to be a tech hub but can’t even get Wi-Fi to schools?” one user asked. Another wrote: “My little sister is in Grade 10 CAT. She’s learning theory only, no practice. This is not how you prepare kids for real jobs.”

The comments reflect broader frustration with promises that don’t seem to materialise and concern that the province’s poorest children are paying the highest price.

Can this be fixed?

Waters believes a change in political will could help. He’s pushing for faster rollout of the Gauteng Broadband Network and more aggressive recruitment of tech educators.

With nearly half of South Africa’s teachers expected to retire over the next decade, this issue goes beyond short-term planning. If something doesn’t change now, an entire generation may emerge from school without the digital literacy they’ll need to survive, let alone thrive.

And for a province that positions itself as the heartbeat of Africa’s economy, that’s not just a missed opportunity it’s a crisis in the making.

{Source: The Citizen}

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