Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, participated in the 13th BRICS Ministers of Education Meeting held on 7 August 2026 in Bhubaneswar, India. Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Deputy Minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), also participated in the meeting.
The 13th BRICS Ministers of Education Meeting was preceded by the 3rd Senior Officials Meeting on 5 August 2026, where the Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, led negotiations on the 13th Ministers of Education Declaration on behalf of both the DBE and DHET.
During the negotiations, the Director-General encouraged a collaborative approach that enabled consensus on a balanced declaration, respectful of the positions and priorities of all member states. At the conclusion of the negotiations, the BRICS Education Senior Officials reached consensus on the final text of the Declaration, reflecting the collective views and priorities of all member states.
South Africa joined Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2010. The grouping subsequently expanded with the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates in 2024. Under India’s Chairship with the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, the Ministers of Education from these nations met to discuss cooperation in Early Childhood Care and Education; Skills development; Collaborative research, Innovation and startups; Mutual Recognition of Qualifications; Capacity Building for Academic Leadership; and Promoting Cooperation in Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
In her remarks at the meeting, Minister Gwarube called on BRICS to build on the commitments made under the Skukuza Declaration of 2023 by embedding Early Childhood Care and Education and foundational learning as standing, year-on-year priorities within the broader BRICS agenda. “Quality foundational learning is where resilience begins. It is where inequality can first be interrupted, and where every child’s future starts to take shape,” Minister Gwarube said. She urged BRICS countries to ensure that progress in these areas is sustained across successive Chairships. “Our children’s development does not follow diplomatic cycles, and neither should our commitment to their earliest learning,” she said.
The Minister also emphasised that foundational learning must be understood as the basis for the skills and opportunities learners require later in life. “Artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, technical education, agriculture, entrepreneurship and the green economy all depend on learners who can read with understanding, work confidently with numbers, communicate, solve problems and continue learning.”
Highlighting South Africa’s work to strengthen multiple learning pathways, including through Focus Schools, Minister Gwarube stressed that providing learners with different routes through education must never mean lowering expectations: “Multiple pathways do not mean lower standards. They mean more doors,” she said. “Every pathway must be rigorous, respected and connected to further education, training, employment or entrepreneurship.” Minister Gwarube said stronger cooperation across BRICS could help countries connect foundational learning more effectively with skills development, further education and the changing world of work. “Foundations are not the opposite of future skills. Strong foundations are what make future skills – and multiple pathways – possible.”
Speaking during the third session of the 13th BRICS Ministers of Education, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education stressed that the BRICS Cooperation on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, South Africa aligns with the UNESCO Global Convention on Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. “We welcome the sections to institutionalise the Working Group of Experts to deliberate on the most appropriate plan of action to comply with previous commitments made during South Africa’s BRICS Chairship in 2023 and Russia Chairship in 2024. In order to achieve mobility of academics, students and skilled professional, BRICS must take deliberate efforts to implement its own previous decisions adopted by Ministers of Education”, remarked Dr Dube-Ncube. The 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration was subsequently adopted by consensus.
On the margins of the meeting, Minister Gwarube held a bilateral meeting with India's newly appointed Minister of Education, Shri Pralhad Joshi, on 6 August 2026. During their discussions, Minister Gwarube provided an update on the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum under South Africa’s Chairship for 2026-2027. The Minister highlighted the DBE’s intention to advance work on quality foundational learning informed by the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Declaration, which recognised the critical role of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in promoting equitable development, fostering social cohesion and driving inclusive growth. She noted that strengthening foundational learning remains essential to ensuring that all children have the opportunity to realise their full potential and contribute meaningfully to sustainable socio-economic development.
In their discussions, the two Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to finalising the Memorandum of Understanding on Basic Education, which seeks to strengthen collaboration and knowledge-sharing in key areas such as ECD, foundational learning, continuous professional teacher development, school nutrition, and the integration of technology in education. Minister Joshi welcomed the update on South Africa's priorities and extended an invitation to Minister Gwarube to return to India to further engage with and learn from the Indian schooling system. The DBE delegation also included Mr Michael Wilter, Special Advisor to the Minister; Ms Mataole Ramohapi, Director: Intergovernmental and Technical Support; Dr Nompumelelo Mohohlwane, Director: Reading; Ms Phozisa Mukwevho, Deputy Director: International Relations and Multilateral Affairs; and Ms Shannon Malan, Assistant to the Minister.