SA Pushes Education Reforms as Gwarube Warns of Financial Pressures in Schools

South Africa’s Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has unveiled an ambitious package of education reforms focused on strengthening foundational learning, expanding Early Childhood Development (ECD), improving governance, and addressing long-standing inequalities in the education system, while warning that severe financial pressures facing provincial education departments are increasingly threatening service delivery.

Presenting Budget Vote 16 for Basic Education under the theme “Strong Foundations for Strong Futures,” Gwarube said South Africa continues to face a deep educational crisis in which inequality begins long before learners reach high school or matric level.

Using the contrasting examples of two hypothetical children — Lindiwe, who attended a well-resourced ECD centre, and Nelson, who did not — the Minister argued that unequal access to quality early learning opportunities remains one of the country’s biggest structural challenges.

“Over 90% of South African children are Nelsons and not Lindiwes. This is the education injustice of our time,” Gwarube said.

Government Expands Early Childhood Development Access

A major focus of the Minister’s address was the rapid expansion of ECD services across the country.

Gwarube announced that government exceeded its target of registering 10,000 ECD centres within a year, successfully registering more than 13,300 centres.

According to the Department:

• ECD registration has grown by 200% between 2021 and 2026

• More than 1.2 million children are now enrolled in registered ECD programmes

The Minister described ECD as one of the most powerful tools for addressing inequality, improving school readiness, and strengthening long-term educational outcomes.

Government has also begun implementing the ECD Nutrition Pilot in the Eastern Cape to tackle childhood malnutrition and developmental delays.

“This responds directly to the Thrive by Five findings that 7% of South Africa’s children are stunted due to malnutrition,” Gwarube said.

Concerns Over Screen Time and Artificial Intelligence

The Department is also preparing new national screen-time guidelines for children aged between two and six amid growing concerns about excessive exposure to digital devices during early childhood development.

At the same time, government is reviewing the 2004 White Paper on e-Education and developing national guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in schools and classrooms.

“Our approach is clear: the machine may assist, but the teacher must decide, the learner must think and the system must protect trust,” Gwarube said.

The move reflects broader global debates around balancing technological innovation with safeguarding quality teaching, learner engagement, and educational integrity.

Funding Challenges Threaten Grade R Expansion

While government continues working toward compulsory Grade R implementation, Gwarube acknowledged that major financial obstacles remain.

She revealed that aligning Grade R practitioner salaries with Foundation Phase educators and appointing additional teachers would require approximately R10 billion over the medium term.

Because the full funding was not provided by National Treasury, the Department redirected R800 million from the ECD Grant to meet immediate Grade R needs.

“This is not ideal, but doing nothing would be worse. We will continue engaging National Treasury for sustainable long-term funding,” she said.

BELA Act and Online School Regulation

The Minister also outlined progress in implementing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.

Draft regulations covering:

• School admissions

• School capacity

• Learner pregnancy policies

have already been published for public comment.

Additional draft regulations involving:

• Teacher development

• Home education

• School governing body elections

will follow during the current financial year.

Government is additionally preparing amendments to the South African Schools Act to formally regulate and recognise online schools as digital learning models continue to expand.

Cabinet has also approved the Children’s Amendment Bill, which Gwarube described as essential for building a more child-centred and efficient ECD system.

Provincial Education Finances Under Severe Pressure

One of the strongest warnings in the Minister’s speech concerned the worsening financial condition of several provincial education departments.

Gwarube said a financial assessment conducted in 2024 had already projected serious medium-term budget shortfalls in multiple provinces, with those risks now becoming reality in:

• KwaZulu-Natal

• Free State

• Northern Cape

To address the crisis, government has established a Multi-disciplinary Recovery Technical Support Team to assist provinces with:

• Budget planning

• Financial analysis

• School resourcing

“When provincial education finances fail, learners suffer first,” she warned.

Delayed School Payments Criticised

The Minister also strongly criticised delays in Norms and Standards payments to schools, saying the funding is critical for daily teaching and learning operations.

“These funds are not optional. They are not a favour to schools. They are the lifeblood of teaching and learning,” Gwarube said.

Many schools across South Africa continue to struggle with delayed payments, affecting operational budgets, maintenance, educational materials, and school nutrition programmes.

Teacher Training and Reducing Bureaucracy

Government plans to intensify support for foundational learning by training 10,000 Foundation Phase teachers in literacy and numeracy during the current financial year.

At the same time, the Department is reviewing administrative burdens placed on teachers.

“I am pleased to announce that the National Education and Training Council has submitted proposals to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, and the Department will soon issue directives to provinces to drastically reduce reporting tools,” Gwarube said.

The Funza Lushaka bursary programme is also increasingly prioritising Foundation Phase teaching, with:

• 55% of bursaries in 2026 allocated to Foundation Phase education

• Up from 42% in 2025

Education Quality to Be Measured Beyond Pass Rates

Although South Africa recorded its highest-ever matric pass rate of 88% in 2025, the Minister argued that pass rates alone do not adequately measure educational quality.

Government will now evaluate provincial performance using a broader range of indicators, including:

• Bachelor pass rates

• Distinctions achieved

• Gateway subject participation

• Learner retention rates

“This will give South Africans a more honest picture of quality, participation, progression and subject depth,” Gwarube said.

The Department also confirmed ongoing disciplinary and criminal investigations into examination irregularities identified in Gauteng during the 2025 matric examinations.

Major Infrastructure Investments Continue

On school infrastructure, Gwarube announced that 99.9% of pit toilets identified under the 2018 SAFE Initiative backlog have now been eradicated, with only one remaining project still under construction.

However, she acknowledged frustration over the slow pace of delivery.

“I am pleased that we are closing the last project on that backlog, but angry that it has taken this long. Project management in the public service must improve,” she said.

Government has allocated:

• R16.3 billion through the Education Infrastructure Grantfor sanitation, school safety, overcrowding reduction, and rural infrastructure projects.

Investigation Into Procurement Irregularities

The Minister also announced an independent investigation into the Foundation Phase National Catalogue procurement process following concerns about possible irregularities in the acquisition of learning materials for Grades 1 to 3.

Although National Treasury’s review was inconclusive, Gwarube said there were sufficient concerns around deviations from competitive bidding procedures to justify a full investigation.

“Corruption in education is never victimless. And neither is weak governance. Both are ultimately paid for by children,” she said.

Budget Allocations and Long-Term Vision

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 infrastructure

• R4.6 billion for ECD

• R477 million for Mathematics, Science and Technology

• R307 million for learners with disabilities

Concluding her speech, Gwarube said the success of government would ultimately be measured by whether children could:

• Read and count better

• Learn in safe environments

• Receive nutrition support

• Leave school equipped for stronger futures