Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, tabled the Department of Basic Education 2026/27 Budget Vote in the National Assembly on 26 May 2026, and in the National Council of Provinces in Parliament, Cape Town on 27 May 2026. Minister Gwarube and Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, presented the Department’s financial commitments and strategic priorities for the year ahead, reaffirming Government’s resolve to build an education system that leaves no learner behind.
Minister Gwarube tabled Budget Vote 16 under the theme: Strong Foundations for Strong Futures “because stronger foundations are the difference between a child who enters the future and a child who is locked out of it. Over the past two years, this administration has chosen a different path. We have chosen reform, discipline and delivery that must be felt in classrooms, teacher support and learner outcomes. This Budget is tabled under severe fiscal pressure. But the future of South Africa cannot wait for perfect conditions. It supports our core priorities: quality Early Childhood Development (ECD), foundational literacy and numeracy, inclusive education, teacher development, school safety and infrastructure, and stronger governance,” the Minister added.
Budget Vote 16 allocates R38.2 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, including R32.7 billion for conditional grants; R11 billion for the National School Nutrition Programme; R16 billion for the Education Infrastructure Grant; and R4.6 billion for ECD.
The Minister said that “ECD remains central to this Budget Vote. ECD is where inequality either begins to narrow or begins to harden. ECD registration has grown by 200% between 2021 and 2026. That means more than 1.2 million children now have access to registered ECD programmes and will enter school better prepared. I am also pleased to announce that the ECD Nutrition Pilot has now entered implementation to end child hunger and stunting. The contract was advertised in March 2026, and we will soon pilot ECD nutrition in centres in the Eastern Cape”.
The Minister also announced that the DBE will develop national screen-time guidelines for children aged 2 to 6 years. “The guidelines will assist parents, caregivers, and schools to protect children’s development of language, memory, attention span, and social development amid growing concerns around excessive exposure to phones and tablets during early childhood.” In a major legislative development, Minister Gwarube confirmed that the Children’s Amendment Bill has now been approved by Cabinet and will proceed through Parliament.
Protecting classrooms through financial accountability is essential: “In September 2024, I informed the public of the results of a financial analysis I initiated into Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). I am announcing a Multi-disciplinary Recovery Technical Support Team of experienced advisors to support provinces on budget planning, financial analysis and school resourcing. Provinces must also ensure that Norms and Standards funding allocations are paid to schools on time”.
On strengthening teaching and foundational learning, 10,000 Foundation Phase teachers will receive targeted literacy and numeracy training whilst the Department refreshes implementation of the National Reading Literacy Strategy.
It is important to measure quality, not only pass rates. “The next phase of reform must also change how we measure success. We must applaud the Class of 2025 for achieving a pass rate of 88%, the highest in our country’s history. I am therefore announcing that, going forward, the Department will rank provincial performance through an inclusive basket of indicators focused on quality, rather than allowing a single pass rate percentage to dominate the national conversation”.
Integrity in procurement is crucial. “The Department will launch an independent external investigation into the Foundation Phase National Catalogue process as delivery must be felt in the classroom”.
“Stronger Foundations mean stronger futures. It will judge us by whether children could read better, count better, learn in safety, eat at school and leave school with strong futures because we governed well. Stronger foundations produce stronger schools, stronger communities and a stronger nation. So, our task is clear: build the foundations, build them early, build them well and build them for every child. Because stronger foundations prepare children for the future,” Minister Gwarube concluded.