The period from birth to four years of age is a crucial developmental phase for children, characterised by rapid brain development. Early identification of barriers to learning is therefore essential to detect developmental delays and disabilities, facilitate curriculum adaptation, and enable timely referral and intervention.
Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, together with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) Management Team, briefed the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the implementation of inclusive education on 28 August 2026. The briefing highlighted progress in strengthening access, participation and support for learners with disabilities, while recognising the need to continue addressing the barriers that prevent some of the most vulnerable children from fully participating in the education system.
In 2023, Director-General Mr Mathanzima Mweli established a dedicated multidisciplinary National Task Team (NTT) to facilitate the placement of out-of-school learners in accordance with Circular S28 of 2023 and Circular S4 of 2026. The NTT has also developed the Draft Guidelines on the Implementation of section 4 of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, as amended, which aims to provide Provincial Heads of Department with a standardised framework for implementing the section. These Guidelines seek to strengthen consistency and ensure that learners who cannot attend for various reasons continue to have access to basic education.
There has also been encouraging progress in the participation and performance of learners with disabilities in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. Of the 10,455 learners with special educational needs who enrolled for the 2025 NSC examinations, 10,188 wrote the examinations, achieving an overall pass rate of 90.10%, with 52.00% obtaining Bachelor passes. A further 17,017 learners were assisted through examination accommodations, while 63 received endorsed concessions. Performance in South African Home Language improved from 89.0% in 2024 to 90.3% in 2025. These achievements demonstrate the potential of learners with disabilities when appropriate support and reasonable accommodation are provided.
Education White Paper 6 was promulgated in 2001 and envisaged a 20-year process of transforming South Africa's education system into an inclusive system. In 2023, the Minister appointed a Ministerial Task Team to review its implementation and recommend a future model for inclusive education. The Task Team submitted its final report to the Minister on 31 March 2026, and a phased stakeholder consultation process is currently underway. The review provides an opportunity to consolidate progress and strengthen the future direction of inclusive education in South Africa.
During the briefing, Minister Gwarube emphasised that inclusion must go beyond simply enrolling learners in schools: “Access alone does not amount to inclusion; a learner may technically be enrolled in school but must receive adequate assistance along with access. We remain concerned about children who are not yet appropriately placed within the schooling system.”
The Minister also congratulated learners with special educational needs on their achievements in the 2025 NSC examinations, noting that the ongoing review of White Paper 6 provides an opportunity to reflect on “the work that we still need to do to assist these learners to become the best version of themselves”. In the same vein, Minister Gwarube also wished the Class of 2026 well in their upcoming preliminary examinations: “The upcoming weeks are important in the journey towards the final 2026 NSC examinations; remain committed towards your future!”