Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, accompanied by Director-General, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, DDG for Delivery and Support, Ms Simoné Geyer and senior managers briefed the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on 2 December 2025. The Ministry provided the Committee with a status update on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act and the upgrading of the qualifications of Grade R practitioners as it relates to Grade R admissions. The briefing also included an update on the Children’s Amendment Bill 2025 in preparation for the 2026 academic year. The Bill has been approved by all internal structures and is undergoing certification by the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor (OCSLA) and will be taken through the cluster system to be approved by Cabinet for tabling in Parliament.
In her opening statement, Minister Gwarube said that “these reforms cut across regulation making; admissions and language policy; practitioner upgrading; and essential changes to Early Childhood Development (ECD) and the Grade R ecosystem, to not only implement new laws, but to strengthen systems that must sustain quality, equity and accountability. This requires accurate data; coherent policy frameworks; and sustained collaboration. The development of the BELA Regulations, an extensive undertaking, has progressed significantly. The various steps in the process are Constitutional safeguards to ensure fairness, public participation, and procedural integrity. I have supported extended comment periods to ensure communities are meaningfully included”.
In terms of school readiness and a status update on Grade R, the Minister said that school readiness is a moving target; it evolves daily as Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) as the primary delivery agents, work hard to close gaps before the start of the new school year. To implement compulsory Grade R, it is essential that reliable data is submitted. The DBE has been assisting in this regard, especially in the provision of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) and infrastructure.
Minister Gwarube added: “To institutionalise improvements in the readiness of data, I am developing a directive under section 8 of the National Education Policy Act, focussed specifically on school readiness data. This is a major undertaking. The directive will define the specific data resources provinces must use; specify exactly what data must be collected and verified; set national standards for completeness, quality and validation; and establish a strengthened and streamlined framework for monitoring and evaluation by the DBE for full implementation by 2027. These plans will be tabled in Parliament, creating a new transparency and accountability”.
Grade R readiness spans various areas, such as learner enrolment, infrastructure and employment conditions, to name but a few, reflected in the National School Readiness Dashboard. The implementation of Sections 4 and 5 of the BELA Act are well underway, with notable progress being made. Schools need to be responsive to demographic changes, language needs and capacity pressures in a future orientated way whilst being guided by provinces.
The Minister also indicated that she welcomed the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) Collective Agreement 2 of 2025, and the progress made through the Unisa partnership to upgrade the qualifications of Grade R Practitioners. “I have requested the DG to work with HoDs to ensure that provinces intensify support for eligible practitioners to complete this process. In terms of the Children’s Amendment Bill, it reduces red tape; supports community-based ECD Programmes and places the 0 to 4 National Curriculum Framework on a statutory footing to widen access and improve quality. These reforms are an opportunity to strengthen the education system sustainably. I welcome the Committees ongoing oversight and encourage continued partnership as we prepare the system for the 2026 academic year”.