Recognising the profound impact of Early Childhood Development (ECD), the DBE has embarked on a strategic reorientation of the education system to strengthen foundational learning with significant progress having been made in policy, planning and resource mobilization. Session 2 commencing with a panel discussion on Solving access and quality at scale, was facilitated by Mr Senzo Hlope, Acting CEO, Ilifa Labantwane. The DBE’s 2030 Strategy for ECD Programmes provides clear direction to achieve universal access to quality early learning for every South African child. Ms Kulula Manona, Chief Director for Foundations for Learning, said that the blueprint unpacks a list of 23 actions on how to achieve this ambitious goal through the social compact, whilst assisting the marginalized: children, parents, practitioners and communities. Discussions ranged from inclusion, funding and innovative partnerships, to collaborating with local government.
Prof Leketi Makalela, Director of the Hub for Multilingual Education and Literacies, University of the Witwatersrand, delivered a presentation on Mother Tongue-based Reading Literacy (MTBRL) piloting in rural education: a new path to reading in African Languages: A seismic shift is required to address misalignment as morphological awareness is virtually absent and not even listed in the Big Five of the Science of Reading. He provided a brief history of reading literacy evolution and explained that MTbRL is the literacy arm of MTbBE and the heartbeat of the National Reading Strategy to ensure that every learner is provided with a fair chance to read for meaning and improve learning outcomes.
Prof Langa Khumalo, Executive Director, SADiLaR: North West University, spoke about MTbBE Implementation – Lessons learnt and the 2026 next iteration for Grade 5. The mandate of the 7th Administration is clear: our schools must lay an unshakeable foundation in the early years. To realise this vision, the Department will continue the roll-out of MTbBE, moving decisively beyond pilot projects and into nationwide implementation where it is needed. This process has begun with Grade 4 Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Technology. By the time learners who have access to MTbBE and reach Grade 5 in the 2026 academic year, must be engaging with at least 70% of their STEM content in their home language, with a progressive balancing into English. This approach safeguards conceptual clarity and deep understanding. By teaching complex concepts in a language learners understand fully, we are enabling scientific inquiry to be driven by intellect, not limited by language barriers.
A panel discussion on Strengthening the Foundations: What It Takes to Improve Reading and Numeracy at Scale facilitated by Dr Andile Dube, Education Specialist, UNICEF, followed. Strengthening the foundations is a justice implementation. The panel agreed on the “triple cocktail” suggested by Dr Stephen Taylor, Director for Research, Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation, of daily lesson plans and quality Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM); school-based coaching; and teacher professional development, prioritizing foundational learning in both reading and numeracy. The panel praised the success of the DBE workbooks intervention as it was used across the entire system and incorporated into daily use for scale and stability. Dr Nicky Roberts, Extraordinary Associate Professor, Stellenbosch University, said that no education system can exceed the quality of its teachers. Young blood needs to be injected into teaching and initial teacher training.