Cape town: Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has announced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening foundational learning, improving financial accountability, and expanding Early Childhood Development (ECD), while warning that growing financial pressures in provincial education departments threaten service delivery in schools.
According to South African Government News Agency, Gwarube tabled Budget Vote 16 for Basic Education under the theme 'Strong Foundations for Strong Futures', highlighting that South Africa's education system continues to fail the majority of children before they reach upper grades. Using the example of two hypothetical 10-year-olds-Lindiwe, who attended a well-resourced ECD centre, and Nelson, who did not-the Minister emphasized that inequality begins long before matric. "Over 90% of South African children are Nelsons and not Lindiwes. This is the education injustice of our time," she stated.
Gwarube explained that the department's focus over the past two years has shifted toward 'reform, discipline and delivery' despite severe fiscal constraints. The Minister identified quality ECD, literacy and numeracy, inclusive education, teacher development, infrastructure, and governance as the department's core priorities. A major focus of the speech was the expansion of ECD access, with government exceeding its target of registering 10,000 ECD centres in a year by registering more than 13,300 centres.
ECD registration has grown by 200% between 2021 and 2026, with over 1.2 million children now accessing registered ECD programmes. She also confirmed that the ECD Nutrition Pilot has entered implementation in the Eastern Cape to address childhood malnutrition, responding directly to the Thrive by Five findings that 7% of South Africa's children are stunted due to malnutrition.
Gwarube further announced plans to develop national screen-time guidelines for children aged between two and six amid concerns about excessive screen exposure in early childhood development. At the same time, the department is reviewing the 2004 White Paper on e-Education and developing national guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms. "Our approach is clear: the machine may assist, but the teacher must decide, the learner must think and the system must protect trust," she remarked.
On the implementation of compulsory Grade R, Gwarube noted that government faces major funding challenges. Aligning Grade R practitioner salaries with Foundation Phase educators and appointing additional teachers would cost approximately R10 billion over the medium term. Due to insufficient allocation from National Treasury, the department redirected R800 million from the ECD Grant to address immediate Grade R pressures, while continuing to engage National Treasury for sustainable long-term funding.
The Minister also outlined progress in implementing the BELA Act, mentioning that draft regulations on admissions, school capacity, and learner pregnancy have already been published for public comment. Additional draft regulations on teacher development, home education, and school governing body elections will follow during the financial year.
Gwarube raised alarm over the deteriorating financial state of several provincial education departments, with a financial analysis conducted in 2024 projecting multiple provinces would face serious budget shortfalls over the medium-term expenditure framework period. Those risks are now materialising in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, and the Northern Cape. In response, a Multi-disciplinary Recovery Technical Support Team has been established to assist provinces with budget planning, financial analysis, and school resourcing.
The Minister warned provinces against delaying Norms and Standards payments to schools, emphasizing that these funds are essential for teaching and learning. Additionally, the government plans to intensify support for foundational learning by training 10,000 foundation phase teachers in literacy and numeracy during the current financial year, while also reviewing administrative burdens placed on teachers.
Gwarube also announced reforms to how provincial education performance will be measured, stating that quality cannot be judged on pass rates alone. The department will now rank provincial performance using a broader 'basket of indicators', including Bachelor pass attainment, distinctions, gateway subject participation, and learner retention rates.
On infrastructure, Gwarube announced that 99.9% of pit toilets identified under the 2018 SAFE Initiative backlog have been eradicated, with only one project remaining under construction. Government has allocated R16.3 billion through the Education Infrastructure Grant for sanitation, safety, overcrowding reduction, and rural infrastructure projects.
An independent external investigation into the Foundation Phase National Catalogue procurement process has been announced following concerns over possible irregularities. The investigation will be conducted by a reputable, independent law firm to ensure transparency and accountability.
Budget Vote 16 allocates R38.2 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, including R32.7 billion for conditional grants, nearly R11 billion for school nutrition, R16 billion for school infrastructure, R4.6 billion for ECD, R477 million for Mathematics, Science and Technology, and R307 million for learners with disabilities.
