St Mary's Senior Primary School

St Mary's Senior Primary School is a public primary school in Herschel, Hershel, Eastern Cape, in the Joe Gqabi education district. The Department of Basic Education classifies it as a primary school. In 2025 it had 584 learners and 14 educators, about 41.7 learners per educator. That makes it larger than the average for public primary schools in Eastern Cape (244 learners). It is a quintile 2 school, meaning it serves the second-poorest 20% of communities according to the national poverty ranking. It is a no-fee school, so parents do not pay school fees. As a Section 21 school, its governing body manages part of its own budget.

School facts

School type	Public primary school
Phase (DBE)	Primary School
Sector	Public
Quintile	2 of 5 (what is this?)
School fees	No-fee school
Section 21	Yes
Learners (2025)	584
Educators (2025)	14
Learners per educator	41.7 (province average 28)
Urban or rural	Rural
EMIS number	200600791

Address and location

Street address	Tugela No.5, Orangentein, 9756
Postal address	P O Box 72, Herschel, 9756
Suburb / area	Herschel
Town	Hershel
Province	Eastern Cape
Education district	Joe Gqabi
Municipality	Senqu Local Municipality
Former department	Transkei

Show on map

Admissions

Applications for Grade R, Grade 1 and Grade 8 at public schools in Eastern Cape open the year before your child starts school. Contact the school for its application form and dates. Read our guide on applying for Grade 1 and Grade 8.