A consistent review of intervention strategies at district level, the increment of learner participation in the occupational and vocational education streams and the improvement of home language teaching remained at the top of the agenda during the Education District and Learner Support Programme conducted by the Director-General of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, this week.
Mr Mweli rounded off his visits to all eight education districts in the Western Cape Province on 25 February 2026, as part of his Learner Support Programme. Insights emanating from the engagement sessions is a sense of urgency towards Grade R attendance in all primary schools across the country. The move is in accordance with the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act 32 of 2024, which has mandated the Basic Education Sector to strengthen foundational learning from the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector. Apart from supporting the districts, the engagement sessions are also aimed at intensifying best practice sharing and accountability in the sector, whilst keeping education districts abreast of key priorities in the Basic Education Sector.
During the engagement sessions, district directors told DG Mweli that regular national support to schools will result in many gains in the GET to the FET bands, especially in Home Languages and gateway subjects. They further applauded the DBE for highlighting the rate of learner participation in Technical Mathematics, Mathematics and Accounting; the Sector needs to maximise subjects in their career pathing. One of the critical issues raised during these engagements was overcrowding in schools with limited classrooms. However, the education districts indicated that negotiations were underway to assist schools with the provision of additional classrooms, especially in schools with capacity challenges.
In his address, DG Mweli stated that education districts were doing well in supporting struggling and progressed learners. He, however, urged education districts to ensure that top achievers were equally supported to sustain academic excellence: “I urge the GET and FET curriculum specialists and subject advisors to focus more on the exit points to identify bottlenecks for necessary intervention. Exit points in this context are Grades 7, 10 and 12 and learners in these grades should be prioritised to complete schooling successfully. I am impressed that most education districts were embracing the ECD mass registration drive, which is the stepping-stone towards strengthening foundational learning. We need to get all ECD centres registered to develop children from birth to 5 years of age. Continue working hard in this area with an understanding that ECD is a fundamental tool required in shaping the future of our children. Once registered, the ECD centres will be eligible for a government subsidy and ultimately, they will operate more efficiently”.
In her reflection, Ms Mataole Ramohapi emphasised the importance of home languages in improving literacy in the lower grades: “GET and FET subject advisors should work together to identify areas where learners are struggling for support”.
After concluding his visits to the Western Cape Education Districts, DG Mweli continued to the Gauteng Province where he visited the Gauteng East Education and the Ekurhuleni South Education Districts.