The DBE’s Rural Education Directorate hosted the final Inter-Provincial Rural Education Committee (IPREC) meeting for 2025 from 9 to 10 December 2025, bringing together provincial education officials, academic experts, and strategic partners. The meeting provided a platform for provincial representatives to present progress on the National Framework for Rural Education (NFRE), discuss challenges and innovations, and collaboratively identify strategies to strengthen teaching and learning in rural schools.
A central theme of the meeting was addressing the persistent challenges facing rural education, including high youth unemployment; low learner throughput; limited post-school pathways; multigrade teaching; and socio-economic barriers. Provincial committee members noted that the education system’s current emphasis on academic streams often overlooks vocational and occupational pathways, contributing to learner dropouts and misalignment with labour market needs.
Several strategic programmes were highlighted as part of the effort to address these challenges. Professor Leketi Makalela, DBE Technical Advisor (Languages and Literacies), presented on Mother Tongue-based Reading Literacy (MTbRL), explaining its importance in improving literacy in African languages. Unlike English, African languages have unique structures that require learners to focus on understanding word meaning rather than just sounds. MTbRL aims to build a strong foundation in home languages, which supports learning across all subjects. The programme is scheduled for a phased rollout from 2026 to 2028 for Grades R–3, with teachers trained and learning materials adapted for each language.
Ms Florence Modipa, Chief Education Specialist, Curriculum Policy and Development at the DBE, shared insights on small schools’ transformation, highlighting partial adaptive reuse models to improve school functionality, co-curricular opportunities, and infrastructure efficiency. Her findings emphasised repurposing underutilised facilities whilst maintaining quality teaching and learning outcomes.
Dr Pumzile Langa, Director for Rural Education, provided an overview of the NFRE and its five pillars, noting that sustainable improvements in rural schools require active engagement from local stakeholders, support for Education Assistants, and the creation of enabling environments for teaching and learning. She placed particular emphasis on Pillar 2: Mobilising Rural Communities, highlighting the critical role of community participation in school governance and the development of rural education initiatives.
Provincial representatives presented their provincial reports structured around the NFRE’s five pillars, detailing progress in inclusive education; teacher development; curriculum implementation; community engagement; and literacy and numeracy interventions. They highlighted achievements, shared challenges, and showcased programmes and initiatives aligned to each pillar, demonstrating how the framework is being applied in schools whilst remaining responsive to local needs.
Looking ahead, the discussions highlighted the importance of building on these efforts to strengthen teaching and learning, expand access and inclusion, and support innovative approaches that respond to the unique needs of rural schools. These priorities provide a clear way forward for improving outcomes and ensuring that rural education is both skills-oriented and sustainable.
“The insights shared by provincial representatives will guide our rural education programmes in 2026, ensuring we continue to build inclusive, skills-oriented, and sustainable education systems for all rural learners.” said Dr Langa.