The DBE held its second stakeholder engagement meeting with organisations representing persons with disabilities at the DBE Conference Centre in Pretoria on 23 September 2025. Mr Jabulani Ngcobo, Director for Inclusive Education, chaired the meeting, which discussed strategic issues of mutual concern aimed at accelerating the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa. In attendance were representatives from the Office of the Director-General, Chief Director, Ms Lulama Ndabankulu and Director, Mr Livhuwani Mahada, as well as delegates from the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD); DeafSA; Blind SA; Down Syndrome South Africa; the Rare Diseases Organisation; the South African National Deaf Association; the Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disability; and other key stakeholders.

Mr Ngcobo opened the meeting by welcoming the members and recapping on the progress on the decisions of the last meeting. Ms Christinah Banyini, Acting Chief Education Specialist for Inclusive Education, presented the purpose of the meeting, which was to share strategic interventions to advance inclusive education and deliberate on matters of mutual concern to ensure the effective implementation of inclusive education through shared problem-solving and knowledge exchange.

Presentations were made on key strategic interventions: ECD by Ms Vuyelwa Ntuli, Chief Education Specialist for Early Childhood Development; Progress on Inclusive Comprehensive Sexuality Education by Mrs Monyane Chaane; STEM Subjects for Blind and Partially Sighted Learners by Mr David Silman; and the Review of Education White Paper 6 by the Ministerial Task Team, led by Professors Margueritte Schneider and Sigamoney Naicker. Other members of the Ministerial Task Team present were Ms Masingita Maluleke, Ms Marie Schoeman, Ms Berenice Daniels, Professor Judith McKenzie and Dr Sue Philpott.

To strengthen strategic and conceptual coherence in the implementation of inclusive education, the meeting established a task team that will drive advocacy efforts. The team comprises of representatives from the DBE and organisations representing persons with disabilities. It was agreed that the team will need to come up with a decisive, targeted intervention to break down stigma, prejudice and discrimination against persons with disabilities to support the sector’s efforts at meeting its national and international obligations.

The meeting resolved to undertake the following: Hold an annual open meeting with organisations representing persons with disabilities; All presentations from line functions in the agenda must be submitted to the Secretariat 14 days before the meeting; Accredited training in the LSPID Conditional Grant must be utilised strategically to professionalise caregiving; All sector programmes and reports must include all children; The exclusion of children with disabilities must not be allowed or tolerated; The sector must strengthen its collaboration with relevant sister departments to strengthen early identification, prevention and intervention efforts; The sector must strengthen its relationship with organisations representing persons with disabilities; The sector must consider the timetabling of Braille Literacy to improve access for blind and partially sighted learners; The sector must strengthen the teaching of STEM subjects to blind and partially sighted learners, including focusing on increasing the numbers of learners taking Mathematics and Physical Science; and The Secretariat must share the documents presented with all the members, including Circular S28 of 2023.

The meeting reaffirmed the DBE’s commitment to working collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure inclusive education is realised in practice. The discussions and resolutions underscored the need for stronger advocacy, enhanced coordination and committed collaboration. The next engagement meeting is scheduled for 9 December 2025, at the DBE Conference Centre, Pretoria.