President Cyril Ramaphosa: 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla

Programme Director,
Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube,
Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule,
Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela,
Deputy Minister of Science and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina,
Director-General of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli,
Director-General for Higher Education and Training, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi,
President of Education International, Dr Mugwena Maluleke,
MECs and Members of Parliament,
Representatives of Teacher Unions,
Representatives of SGB Associations,
Representatives of COSAS,
Representatives of higher education institutions, education organisations, civil society and business,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Ndi matsheloni. Molweni. Avuxeni. 

As we gather here, our nation is consumed by sorrow.

Two days ago, 14 children lost their lives on their way to school in a most horrific accident.

We mourn this loss deeply and extend our condolences to the families, teachers and classmates of the children who lost their lives. We wish those who were injured in the crash a speedy recovery.

We cannot accept that young lives are put at risk as they seek the growth and enrichment that an education provides.

We cannot let this tragedy pass. We need to act now and we need to act together to ensure that scholar transport is safe and reliable.

I ask that we stand to observe a moment’s silence in memory of the young lives lost.

I am deeply honoured to once again be part of the Basic Education Sector Lekgotla. 

Education is the engine of development.

Through education we lift our people out of poverty and we overcome inequality. 

The National Development Plan (NDP) envisages an education system in which all learners are equipped with strong foundational skills in literacy, numeracy and science.

This enables them to succeed in later years of schooling and to participate meaningfully in the economy and in society. 

As a country, our commitment to a resilient and capable education system must begin where it matters most: in the early grades, where the foundations for all future learning are laid. 

Strengthening early grade reading and numeracy is a national priority and moral imperative. 

When children do not learn to read for meaning or to work confidently with numbers by the end of the Foundation Phase, the cost is borne by the entire education system.

Unless we get it right at the outset, learners spend the rest of their school careers trying to catch up. 

We see this in repetition, dropout, weak progression and the tragic loss of human potential. 

For this reason, we are intensifying our focus on evidence-based teaching of literacy and numeracy. 

We are working to ensure that every classroom is supported by a coherent curriculum and well-trained teachers.

And that every classroom has high-quality, age-appropriate, grade-specific and culturally relevant learning and teaching support materials.

By investing in foundational learning, we are building a resilient education system that can sustain learning, adapt to shocks and equip every child with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

There is much we can learn and achieve through collaboration with other countries.

We are delighted to be part of the Head of States Network on Foundational Learning, which was formed during the recent G20 Education meetings, and brings together India, Brazil and South Africa. 

We also stand to benefit immensely from the lessons of our BRICS partners, enabling us to confront shared challenges and advance our common mission to strengthen foundational learning. 

The National Senior Certificate results of 2025 reinforce our view that without strong foundations in the early years, inequality re-emerges later in the schooling system. 

Over the past 30 years, the Department has achieved a remarkable turnaround. 

Three decades ago, only around half of learners obtained a matric certificate.

Last year, 88 percent of learners attained the National Senior Certificate. 

Even more encouraging is that over the past decade the education sector has doubled the number of learners qualifying for admission to Bachelor Studies.

Perhaps the most profound achievement of the Class of 2025 is what I would describe as a silent revolution. Over 66 percent of learners who qualified for admission to bachelor studies came from no-fee schools. 

This means we are making great advances in our struggle against poverty. 

It means that over 200,000 learners from the poorest households now have access to higher education and the possibilities it presents. 

Over half a million learners who are social grant recipients attained the National Senior Certification. Of these, 250,000 qualified for admission to Bachelor Studies.

We are encouraged by the fact that 90 percent of learners with special education needs passed matric and 52 percent achieved bachelor passes, both higher than the national average.

This underscores the importance of sustaining Government’s commitment to supporting marginalised learners and creating equal opportunities for success.

While we applaud these achievements, we must be concerned about the slow pace of growth in vocational and occupational education. 

Vocational and occupational education plays a vital role in preparing people, especially the youth, for the world of work, enhancing economic growth and promoting social equity. 

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.

Our economy urgently needs these skills to drive our country’s growth. 

Basic education must play a stronger role in preparing learners for a skills revolution . 

We must intensify our efforts to partner with various sectors of the economy to strengthen our collective contribution to vocational education. 

As we strive to improve the quality of our matric results, we must work harder to ensure that more children complete their schooling.

It is distressing that nearly half a million children who entered grade one in 2014 left school before reaching their matric year in 2025. 

Most of these learners dropped out between grades 10 and 12.

We call on the department, teachers, parents and communities to counsel learners who are contemplating leaving and to work together to ensure that learners complete their schooling.

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. 

While there is much focus on matric results, solid foundations in early learning – from birth to nine years – is essential. 

It provides the foundational knowledge, skills and attitudes required for successful onward learning and for lifelong development.

Early learning must be firmly anchored at the core of our education system. 

Early learning lays the groundwork for cognitive, social and emotional development. Children who receive quality early education are better prepared for future learning experiences.

Establishing early learning as a core component of the education system is essential for nurturing well-rounded, capable young people who can thrive academically, socially and economically. 

By investing in early childhood education, our country can foster stronger communities, support equitable access to education and promote lifelong success for all children.

We must prioritise real-time programmes on reading and literacy so that we do not wait five years to understand whether we are making progress. 

This demands a bold shift in approach: to rethink and reimagine early learning, to embed it within the basic education system, and to ensure that early childhood development is treated as a core pillar of educational success.

If we invest early, we invest wisely. 

And so today, I call on all partners – Government, civil society, the private sector and communities – to join hands in this mission. 

Let us make foundational learning the heartbeat of our education system. 

Together, we can ensure that every child in South Africa is ready for the future.

Quality education is impossible without safe and healthy learning environments. 

Schools must be free of violence. They must be nurturing and supportive. 

We must invest in safety, health, nutrition and psychosocial support. 

We must build on the success of the National School Nutrition Programme. 

Today, it nourishes the minds and bodies of close to 10 million learners across our country. 

Good nutrition strengthens punctuality, attendance, concentration, resilience and overall well-being.

We must work to ensure that no child’s learning is compromised by preventable illness, hunger or neglect of their well-being.

In line with the commitments made during the 2025 State of the Nation Address, we gather here to reaffirm our collective resolve to quality and inclusive education. 

Central to this mission is the strengthening of foundational learning through the continued and expanded rollout of Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education across all provinces.

Globally, strong literacy and numeracy outcomes are rooted in learners’ mother tongues. 

Our own data confirms the historical advantage that this approach has afforded English and Afrikaans learners. 

Since 1996, our Constitution has enshrined multilingualism as a social, educational and economic norm.

By the end of 2025, nearly 12,000 schools had access to Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education. 

The Department is working to expand teacher training in appropriate methodologies, ensuring curriculum and assessment alignment, and integrating language development across literacy and numeracy.

Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education faces many challenges, from resource constraints to negative attitudes to African languages.

But these can be overcome through sustained advocacy and mobilisation across society.

Underpinning our quest for quality education is the central role of teachers. 

We must do more to prepare and support our teachers to work effectively in an evolving school environment, while at the same time safeguarding their well-being and professional dignity.

We must plan with teachers. Support them to deliver.

Teachers must have access to high-quality professional development that equips them for a rapidly changing world.

In that way, we can ensure that there is a competent teacher in front of every learner.

The education portfolio is vast, complex and diverse. 

No single institution or department can succeed alone. 

Partnership and collaboration are essential.

We must seek out partners that can guide, challenge and support us in delivering the quality and impact that our nation expects.

The Department of Basic Education must continue to mobilise resources through government channels and strategic partnerships to ensure sustainable implementation from early childhood development through the entire schooling system.

By confronting the literacy crisis, restoring the dignity and value of all home languages, strengthening foundational learning, and investing in teachers and enabling environments, we are laying a firmer foundation for learner success.

In doing so, we are not only transforming education. 

We are building a resilient, inclusive and future-ready education system worthy of all the children of South Africa.

I thank you.