- A grandmother’s autistic granddaughter has been waiting more than two years for a place at a government special needs school.
- The family says this long delay has left the child without the education she needs, despite their repeated efforts to follow up.
- This case raises wider questions about Gauteng’s ability to support children with disabilities and the help available to families in similar situations.
A grandmother from Pretoria has spent more than two years trying to secure a place for her seven-year-old autistic granddaughter at a government special needs school.
She says her granddaughter is still at home, even after being assessed and put on a waiting list. This matter highlights the struggles many families in Gauteng face when trying to get proper education for children with disabilities.
South Africa’s Constitution says every child has the right to basic education, including those with disabilities. Yet for many families, actually getting this education for children with special needs is still a difficult struggle.
More than two years on a waiting list
Across Gauteng, parents and caregivers have repeatedly raised concerns about long waiting lists for special schools, overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of specialist support and too few schools that can accommodate children with disabilities.
The grandmother says she first went to the Tshwane Odi Education District in 2024 to have her granddaughter assessed. After the assessment, her granddaughter was put on a waiting list. Officials told her the process might take about a year.
“When we went to the Tshwane Odi Education District in 2024, they told us the process usually takes about a year. It’s now 2026, and it’s been more than two years with no placement. When we asked why, they said many children still need to be assessed and placed,” she says.
The grandmother says the long wait has deeply affected her family. “It breaks my heart to see my grandchild at home while other children go to school. For over two years, she’s had no access to proper schooling. We’ve thought about private special needs schools, but we just can’t afford the fees.”
Families left with few alternatives
For families living in townships and low-income communities, private special needs schools are too expensive. This leaves government schools as their only real option.
The difficulties often start long before children reach school age. Many children with autism or developmental disabilities struggle in mainstream Early Childhood Development centres, which often lack trained staff, special resources and proper support.
Because of this, some children are left out of learning for months or even years while they wait for a place at a school that meets their needs. The grandmother says her granddaughter’s experience at a local Early Childhood Development centre was distressing.
“We enrolled her at a local ECD centre, but eventually had to take her out because of how she was treated. We often found her sitting outside alone, or in a class with babies who were only six months old, even though she was four years old at the time.
“She became scared to go back because of how she was treated. On top of that, we were asked to pay extra for staff to look after her because of her special needs.”
Growing pressure on special needs education
This case again raises questions about whether Gauteng can provide truly inclusive education. As demand for specialised schools grows and spaces remain limited, families keep asking if enough is being done to ensure children with disabilities can exercise their right to education.
The Gauteng Department of Education has admitted that special needs schools are under pressure from growing demand. But families like this grandmother’s say the reality is that children stay on waiting lists for years, with few alternatives while they wait.
The grandmother says her only hope is that her granddaughter will finally get the chance every child deserves: to learn, grow and go to school with other children.
The Gauteng Department of Education was asked to comment, but hadn’t responded by the time of publication. This story will be updated if a response is received.
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