Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, maintains that a regular engagement between the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the 75 education districts in the country will reaffirm commitment towards the achievement of key priorities set out in the 7th administration, under the Government of National Unity (GNU). These include expanding access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD); improving teacher support and development in the Foundation Phase; improving post provisioning for the Foundation Phase; and strengthening curriculum delivery in the Foundation Phase. Minister Gwarube and the Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule, met with the district directors responsible for overseeing the 75 education districts in provinces to unpack progress registered by the Basic Education Sector in the delivery of quality education in South African schools. The meeting took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in the Gauteng Province on 28 August 2025. According to the DBE, the consolidation of insights collated from the education district directors through their quarterly meetings with the Minister, is an effective mechanism to promote uniformity in the Basic Education Sector.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister Mhaule said that the district directors were a glue that held the basic education sector together, adding that through regular meetings with the Basic Education Ministry, quality learning outcomes have been observed over the years. “As a sector, we have done a sterling job  in terms of improving learning outcomes in the Further Education and Training phase. However, very little has been done for the General Education and Training (GET) band. The intervention support at FET band should equally be shifted to the GET. This will require a deliberate investment of energy and resources towards strengthening learning and teaching in the early years of children’s schooling,” added Deputy Minister Mhaule.

In her official address, Minister Gwarube applauded the district directors for showing resilience, creativity, and deep commitment towards transforming the landscape of education in South Africa. “As district directors, you know better than anyone that if the foundations of learning are weak, everything that comes after them is compromised. We can build new curricula, we can introduce new technologies, we can expand access to education but if children cannot read with meaning, if they cannot grasp basic numeracy, if they do not experience a nurturing, structured early childhood environment, then we are building on sand. Our strategic reorientation as a sector is therefore clear: we must fix the foundations of learning. That begins with ECD. The transition of ECD into the DBE has been one of the most important structural reforms in recent years. But taking over the responsibility is only the beginning. We must now make ECD work for every child in South Africa. We are therefore committed to ensuring that ECD centres are registered to receive full support from Government.  ECD centres across the country are the first point of contact for millions of children with formal learning. Yet too many remain unregistered, under-resourced, and disconnected from the support they need to thrive. Registration is not a bureaucratic hurdle; it is a gateway to quality. A registered centre can access subsidies, support, training, and infrastructure improvement. A registered centre is visible to the system and therefore accountable to the children and communities it serves. During my oversight visit and monitoring programme to the ECD centres in provinces, 

I have seen the energy of practitioners eager to be part of a system that recognises their work. I have seen municipalities, departments, and communities pulling together to help centres meet the criteria. Yes, there are bottlenecks, but I have also seen the determination to overcome them,” explained Minister Gwarube.