Eastern Cape Department of Education

The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) runs public schooling in one of South Africa’s largest provinces by school-going population. The ECDoE oversees curriculum delivery, school infrastructure and teacher development across both urban areas and deeply rural villages.

Registered name

Eastern Cape Department of Education

Type

Provincial government department (Eastern Cape)

Fields funded

Teaching qualifications and priority skills for the department

Website

ecdoe.gov.za

Email

customercarecentre@ecdoe.gov.za

Phone

080 121 2570

Leadership and results

Fundile Gade has served as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education in the Eastern Cape since May 2019 and is serving a second consecutive term under Premier Oscar Mabuyane. The ECDoE reports that the province’s matric pass rate improved from 65% in 2017 to above 81% by 2023 during his time in office.

The ECDoE says MEC Gade advocates for an education system that develops learners academically, socially, culturally and through sport and extracurricular activities.

Bursaries for aspiring teachers

The Eastern Cape Department of Education offers bursaries to help unemployed young people and aspiring educators from the province study in fields that meet the department’s priority skills needs. The province’s shortage of teachers, especially in rural schools and in subjects such as mathematics and science, explains why teaching qualifications sit at the centre of the bursary.

Our Eastern Cape Department of Education bursary page has not been refreshed with 2027 dates, so treat it as background and confirm the current call with the department.

How to research the ECDoE bursary

Call the ECDoE’s toll-free citizen care line on 080 121 2570, or email the customer care centre, and ask whether the department will advertise a bursary for 2027, which qualifications it will fund and whether bursars must teach in Eastern Cape public schools after qualifying. Education bursaries usually include a service obligation, often in schools where the department needs teachers most.

Students planning to teach should also apply for the national Funza Lushaka teaching bursary, which the Department of Basic Education runs separately. Holding both applications improves the chance of funding.

District education offices and school principals often hear about provincial bursaries early, so ask at your local district office as well.

The ECDoE also publishes notices about its information systems and internal services on its website, which shows that the department needs IT, administration and finance skills as well as teachers, so ask whether non-teaching fields qualify for a bursary.

See our Education Bursaries page for other teaching bursaries.