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SchoolSeek

Schools in Eastern Cape

Browse 5,281 schools across 12 education districts.

5,281
Schools
12
Districts
1,793,805
Learners
27:1
Avg learners per educator
View on Map
Source: DBE EMIS Q3 2025 + NSC School Performance Report 2025Last updated

Eastern Cape has 5,281 registered schools across 12 education districts. 4,704 are recorded as no-fee schools. Schools here serve approximately 1,793,805 learners, with an average learner-to-educator ratio of 27:1. Quintile, sector, and phase data are shown as context — none of these measure school quality.

Source: DBE EMIS Q3 2025.

Which education districts make up Eastern Cape?

Amathole East

717 schools 56 areas 25:1 ratio
526 Primary 89 Secondary 101 Combined 1 Special Needs
692 public 25 independent

OR Tambo Coastal

649 schools 26 areas 29:1 ratio
362 Primary 83 Secondary 202 Combined 2 Special Needs
630 public 19 independent

OR Tambo Inland

616 schools 51 areas 26:1 ratio
456 Primary 98 Secondary 58 Combined 4 Special Needs
573 public 43 independent

Alfred Nzo West

542 schools 35 areas 28:1 ratio
414 Primary 77 Secondary 49 Combined 2 Special Needs
527 public 15 independent

Buffalo City

462 schools 130 areas 27:1 ratio
303 Primary 121 Secondary 27 Combined 11 Special Needs
398 public 64 independent

Chris Hani East

451 schools 73 areas 23:1 ratio
366 Primary 57 Secondary 27 Combined 1 Special Needs
438 public 13 independent

Amathole West

380 schools 74 areas 25:1 ratio
280 Primary 89 Secondary 11 Combined
366 public 14 independent

Nelson Mandela

368 schools 108 areas 27:1 ratio
238 Primary 87 Secondary 27 Combined 16 Special Needs
318 public 50 independent

Chris Hani West

365 schools 82 areas 26:1 ratio
252 Primary 84 Secondary 29 Combined
340 public 25 independent

Joe Gqabi

282 schools 50 areas 26:1 ratio
173 Primary 47 Secondary 59 Combined 3 Special Needs
273 public 9 independent

Alfred Nzo East

232 schools 34 areas 32:1 ratio
140 Primary 45 Secondary 44 Combined 3 Special Needs
220 public 12 independent

Sarah Baartman

217 schools 88 areas 27:1 ratio
137 Primary 41 Secondary 37 Combined 2 Special Needs
194 public 23 independent

Popular areas in Eastern Cape

Lusikisiki186Umtata166Bizana155Mount Frere142Ngqeleni142Willowvale135Tabankulu133Libode125Idutywa121Mqanduli118Qumbu117Flagstaff115

Common questions about schools in Eastern Cape

How many schools are in Eastern Cape?

Eastern Cape has 5,281 registered schools in the official EMIS data, organised across 12 education districts. This includes public and independent schools of every phase.

How many no-fee schools are in Eastern Cape?

4,704 schools in Eastern Cape are recorded as no-fee schools — a designation meaning they do not charge compulsory school fees. No-fee status reflects the school's funding classification, not its quality.

Which education districts in Eastern Cape have the most schools?

By school count: Amathole East (717 schools), OR Tambo Coastal (649 schools), OR Tambo Inland (616 schools). Every district page lists its schools with filters for phase, sector and fee status.

School Infrastructure Data

Infrastructure data (libraries, computer centres, laboratories, sports facilities) is not yet available for Eastern Cape. We are working on expanding infrastructure coverage to all provinces.

School data sourced from the Department of Basic Education (EMIS). Peer comparisons are based on schools within the same quintile, phase, and province group. Learn about our methodology