Cape Town - More pupils are leaving the Eastern Cape and Gauteng to enrol at schools in the Western Cape, the provincial legislature heard on Friday.

The standing committee on education’s public hearing focused on the safety of pupils and teachers at schools, among other topics covered in the 2017/2018 report on provincial education. The stream of pupils from the two provinces strains an already limited budget.

The department has recorded 1421 pupils from Gauteng and 19950 from the Eastern Cape as having moved to the Western Cape. More than 2000 come from outside the country. The committee commended the department on a job well done in the 2017/18 financial year.

Western Cape Education Department MEC Debbie Schäfer said the department had, together with other provinces, met with the president’s council in relation to the influx of pupils, and asked for a budget increase.

Weekend Argus