Gauteng education officials visited 61 independent schools suspected of operating unlawfully between January and September, Education MEC Lebogang Maile said on Sunday.
Maile told a media briefing in Johannesburg that 32 of the schools were served with closure letters as the province stepped up checks on registration, safety and compliance.
Seven of the schools visited had stopped operating, four later applied for registration and two school directors were arrested, according to the MEC.
Registration checks
The department says the enforcement drive is intended to ensure learners attend institutions that are properly registered and meet required standards.
“Parents also have an important role to play,” Maile said. He urged families to verify a school’s registration before paying fees and to contact the department when they suspect an institution is operating illegally.
Independent schools must be registered with the provincial education department. Registration allows officials to check whether a school meets the legal and administrative requirements for operating.
The department’s review covers registration, subsidies and accountability as well as action against schools operating outside the law. The provincial government says the checks are intended to protect learners from institutions that have not demonstrated compliance with required standards.
The department did not publish a full list of the 61 schools during the briefing. It also did not identify the directors who were arrested or provide details of the cases against them.
The figures show different outcomes after visits: some schools stopped operating, some received closure notices and four moved to apply for registration. A registration application does not by itself establish that a school has been approved.
The latest figures cover enforcement work conducted across Gauteng during the first nine months of 2026.
