Scholar transport services across Gauteng are expected to resume from Monday, 16 February, after the provincial education department committed to paying outstanding invoices to operators and resolving key disputes that had left thousands of learners stranded at home.

Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane announced the breakthrough after meeting with representatives of scholar transport associations covering about 250 contracted service providers. The operators run an estimated 3,600 buses and transport around 238,000 learners daily across the province.

The meeting followed the suspension of services by some operators, which disrupted schooling and forced learners to miss classes. Chiloane said the situation had become untenable and required urgent intervention.

According to the department, all issues falling within its mandate were resolved during the engagement. These include payment delays, with the department confirming that outstanding invoices for November 2025 would be processed and paid by the end of this week. The parties also agreed on clearer processes for verifying learners transported through the programme, including interim use of verification forms signed at schools while the department transitions to a digitised system.

Following the meeting, operators agreed to consult their members on a phased return to service, taking into account logistical challenges linked to the earlier suspension, including the temporary withdrawal of vehicles for safety and asset protection. In principle, full operations are expected to resume province-wide on 16 February.

The department said it was concerned about the impact of the disruption on learners, including lost teaching time and exposure to unsafe alternative transport. Schools have been instructed to implement catch-up programmes from Monday to help learners recover lost learning time.

“We acknowledge the frustration and distress experienced by learners, parents and communities during this period,” Chiloane said. “We regret the inconvenience caused, but are encouraged by the progress made and confident that the resolutions reached will lead to the full normalisation of scholar transport services across Gauteng.”

In the same update, the department reported two learner deaths in separate incidents. A Grade R learner from Bennet Isaacs Primary School in Coronationville died after sustaining injuries on school premises. In another case, a Grade 12 learner from Vosloorus Comprehensive Secondary School allegedly fell ill during afternoon study sessions on 4 February and later died while being transported from a medical facility to hospital the following morning. The department said investigations into both deaths are under way.

The department also provided an update on Grade 1 and Grade 8 admissions for 2026. While most applicants have been placed, 1,174 learners remain unplaced due to capacity pressures, mainly in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni. This includes 882 Grade 1 learners and 292 Grade 8 learners. The department said it is working with schools to identify available spaces and has assured parents that all qualifying learners will be accommodated.