The 2026 lekgotla ended with clear reforms for the basic education sector, focusing on strengthening early development as a national priority, foundational learning for a resilient system, innovation and partnerships for the future.
The lekgotla commenced on Tuesday in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, with basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube briefing the media on strengthening the foundations of learning. She said the department will prioritise early reading and maths, and expand teacher training in effective teaching methods, especially for early literacy and numeracy.
This, by strengthening how teachers are taught to teach reading and maths, and increasing support for teachers in underdeveloped areas. This included high-quality, age-appropriate, grade-specific learning and teaching materials and content that is relevant and supports understanding.
The department of basic education (DBE) launched the Bana Pele early childhood development (ECD) registration in 2024. It ensures that every young child in South Africa has access to a quality ECD programme.
Gwarube said the programme needs to be anchored in early learning from birth to age nine as a core part of the system-expanding ECD access, and real-time programmes for reading and literacy. “In so doing, progress can be tracked year by year rather than waiting for later grades.“ she said
While Gwarube praised the matric class of 2025 for an 88% pass rate, she said school safety was another issue that the department will focus on
She also highlighted the need to improve learner support systems to prevent dropouts, particularly in poorer communities.
While Gwarube praised the matric class of 2025 for an 88% pass rate, she said school safety was another issue that the department will focus on.
She welcomed the international support of the EU which donated €5m (R94.91m) towards improving school safety. She said protecting pupils was essential for improving outcomes, adding that children cannot learn properly if they do not feel safe.
Mother tongue-based bilingual education rollout
Speaking at day 2 of lekgotla on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the major crisis was the country’s dropout rate. He pointed out that most pupils leave school between grades 10 and 12, where pressure increases, and support is often invisible.
“We need to pay attention to the reasons learners drop out — from financial pressure to poor academic performance to increasing domestic responsibilities — and provide psychosocial support to those facing challenges in their home situation.”
He said the matter required serious urgency, calling on the department, teachers, parents and communities to counsel pupils who are contemplating leaving and to work together to ensure that they complete their schooling.
“By focusing on practical skills the economy needs, it contributes to building capable and adaptable workers who meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy.”
Ramaphosa urged the DBE to play a stronger role in preparing pupils for a skills revolution — by intensifying the partnerships they have with sectors of the economy to contribute towards vocational education.
By the end of 2025, nearly 12,000 schools had access to mother tongue-based bilingual education.
He said the department was expanding teacher training to:
- improve teaching methods;
- align the curriculum and assessments; and
- strengthen language skills in reading and maths.
The department is rolling out and expanding mother tongue-based bilingual education which can boost a better understanding of reading and learning.
Ramaphosa said mother-tongue-based bilingual education still faced many challenges, from resource constraints to negative attitudes in African countries. However, they can be overcome through sustained advocacy and mobilisation across society.
Registration drive for ECD centres
Acting director for communications and research, Terence Khala, said the goal was to register more than 20,000 ECD centres by the end of the financial year.
“To date, we’ve registered approximately 12,000 ECD centres and the ideas continue to progress.
Khala said this would ensure that all ECD centres across the country had the best opportunity in terms of foundational skills and ensure that the entire sector of basic education had a better foundation.
He said the lekgotla was a necessary briefing to set a clear sectoral goal ahead of the new academic year.
TimesLIVE
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