Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, addressed Parliament in Cape Town on 4 March 2025. “The Basic Education Sector is reeling from budget constraints. In this climate, corporate partnerships are critical in serving our 13.5 million learners across the country, regardless of where they come from. However, in partnering with corporates, we must implement measures to manage branding in schools. Partnerships are key and so is protecting our learners,” she said.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) hosted its decade milestone annual Basic Education Sector Lekgotla at the Birchwood Hotel and Or Tambo Conference Centre from 27 February to 1 March 2025, under the theme, “Strengthening Foundations for Learning for a Resilient Future-fit Education System”. Speaking during the Lekgotla, Minister Gwarube said that, “the imperative to improve literacy and numeracy, strengthen early childhood development, and to ensure that no child is left behind must be a national priority that binds us all together. As Government, we cannot do this alone. The task before us, to improve the quality of education in South Africa, is a national imperative that requires collective action from all stakeholders. The education sector does not only need financial partners, it also needs thinking partners. We need collaborators who will help us analyse trends, interpret data, and make sense of a rapidly changing world. We need institutions, researchers, and policymakers who can bring fresh ideas and bold solutions”.
The Minister added that, “the current economic climate is forcing difficult trade-offs across all sectors, and education is no exception. Budgetary constraints are a growing challenge, impacting our ability to expand infrastructure, recruit and train teachers, and improve learning resources. Provinces have retained the same basket of posts for the past 5 – 10 years while the number of learners enrolled in schools has been increasing; this has led to the average teacher-to-learner ratios trending upwards in the wrong direction, threatening learning outcomes. Despite these constraints, our commitment remains steadfast: to ensure that every child in South Africa has access to quality education. To achieve this, we must rethink how we mobilize resources”.
During the closing of the Lekgotla, Basic Education Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, said that she was deeply encouraged by the collective wisdom, passion and dedication of the delegates: “I believe that the groundwork has been laid for transformative change that will undoubtedly transcend generations. Delegates were reminded that the assignment of transforming the education system is not the sole mandate of the DBE but an-all stakeholder effort”. The Lekgotla discussions focused on practical ways in which the wide range of institutions and leaders in the sector can work together to take forward education priorities in the 7th Administration.