The Department of Basic Education (DBE), together with officials from the Eastern Cape Provincial Education Department, hosted a Provincial Training Team Workshop on Inclusive Education, Curriculum Differentiation and Learner Support from 17 to 21 August 2026. The workshop brought together 141 participants representing Early Childhood Development (ECD), Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase, Senior Phase, and principals of public schools serving learners with special education needs. The aim was to strengthen the capacity of officials to support learner diversity and to develop subject-specific curriculum differentiation guidelines to support effective classroom implementation.

The workshop was officially opened by Mr Lulamani Zenzile, Chief Director for Learner Development and Social Support Services, whilst Mr Lourens Putter, Director for Inclusive Education, highlighted the province’s progress in advancing inclusive education. Mrs Monyane Chaane, representing the DBE, unpacked the Four Pillars of Curriculum Differentiation, namely Content; Learning Environment; Methodology and Assessment; and guided participants on completing Support Needs Assessment 1 (SNA 1), Section 3 of the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) process. She also emphasised the need to integrate Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and South African Sign Language (SASL) into teaching programmes, timetables, accommodations and concessions to remove barriers to participation and enable learners to access the curriculum more effectively.

DBE’s Dr Sello Galane highlighted key international, African, and South African legal and policy instruments that promote disability rights and inclusive education, reinforcing the responsibility of education officials and practitioners to translate these commitments into equitable access, meaningful participation, and appropriate support for all learners. Mr Khayalakhe Mmolawa, Director for Curriculum, challenged participants to focus on the repurposing of teachers by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to support increasingly diverse learner needs. Ms Chulekazi Xundu-Bula, Chief Director for Curriculum Management, reinforced the need for appropriate teaching resources, assistive devices, and curriculum support, whilst emphasising the critical role of subject advisors in supporting educators to implement curriculum differentiation in practice.

Participants also explored the value of strengthening partnerships with Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), government departments, and disability organisations. Mr Sello Mabathoana, Project Manager for the Three Stream Model, emphasised the importance of these partnerships in creating meaningful pathways from schooling to skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, and independent living for learners with impairments.

The workshop concluded with discussions on implementing the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Monitoring and Support Tool, which will assist schools, districts, and subject advisors in monitoring the implementation of curriculum differentiation and strengthening inclusive education practices. The tool is intended to move curriculum differentiation beyond policy commitments and into routine classroom practice by providing a mechanism for identifying gaps, strengthening support and monitoring progress.

In closing, Mr Zenzile encouraged participants to translate the knowledge, skills and practical tools gained during the workshop into action, with the ultimate goal of improving access, participation, and learning outcomes for diverse learners across the province. The workshop therefore represented an important step towards ensuring that learner diversity is recognised not as an exception to the curriculum, but as a fundamental consideration in how teaching, learning and assessment are planned and implemented.