The heavy focus on matric results should change into a very specific focus on foundation phase education, to give South African children a chance at a good future.
This was the message of Siviwe Gwarube, minister of basic education, while visiting Bloemfontein on Wednesday, 13 August and Thursday.
At a meeting at the Dutch Reformed Church Bloemheuwel on Wednesday, she said Early Childhood Development (ECD) should get priority.
“The statistics show that eight out of ten children in primary schools cannot read with meaning. How can South African children compete with the rest of the world?”
Gwarube said that for too long the focus was on the matric pass rate.
“If the foundation is right, it will not be necessary for matrics to go to school for seven days a week before their final exams. The work should start in early childhood so that they do not play catch-up for the rest of their academic years.”
She said that the importance of literacy and numeracy should be the first priority.
“We have to do more with less. We have to get all children to ECD centres and equip the centres and upskill staff so that children are ready for Gr.1.”
To offer the help that ECD centres need, Gwarube said they would reach out in communities to make it easy for centres to be registered.
On Thursday, the minister visited the Thuso Imdaad ECD Centre in Batho to convene at the Bana Pele ECD Registration Clinic.
The clinic is part of the broader Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive, aimed at accelerating access to essential early childhood development programmes for young children by assisting ECD owners, practitioners and caregivers to register their centres in order to unlock government support in the form of financial subsidies, as well as learning and teaching materials, amongst others.
This year, Sesame Workshop South Africa marks 25 years of impact by entering a new chapter through a partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) aimed at driving ECD registration across the country.
The Bana Pele campaign urges parents and guardians to support their local ECD centres to get registered with the DBE. Registration is free, and essential to accessing government support, including R10 billion that will increase the value of the ECD subsidy and enable many more poor children to access early learning opportunities at registered centres. The drive aims to ensure that more children can benefit from compliant, safe and high-quality early learning environments.
Gwarube welcomed collaboration.
“Children are South Africa’s greatest assets, and this partnership with Sesame Workshop aligns with our vision to put our youngest citizens first and prioritise early learning as a national imperative,” she said.
Dr Onyinye Nwaneri, managing firector of Sesame Workshop South Africa, highlighted the dual significance of ECD, positioning it as both a societal necessity and a powerful economic strategy.
“ECD extends beyond education – it lays the groundwork for lifelong health, learning, and overall wellbeing,” she explained.
“Investing in quality early learning drives skills development, stimulates job creation and fosters a more inclusive economy. These outcomes are pivotal for advancing South Africa’s long-term growth and prosperity.”
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