The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has said that classes and exams have resumed at its Auckland Park Kingsway (APK) campus after disruptions on Monday.

In a campus update, the university told students, staff and the community that disruptions to academic activities “were swiftly resolved”.

“Normal University operations, including classes and examinations, have resumed,” UJ said.

The disruptions followed protests over a reported proposed increase in registration fees for 2027, with demonstrators raising concerns about the affordability of higher education for financially disadvantaged students.

Videos circulating on social media show some masked protesters disrupting examinations and damaging university property, including a model of the institution. There were also reports of smoke coming from a block of lecture halls.

Some protesters were wearing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) regalia.

The EFF denied involvement in the unrest, saying the protesters did not represent the party. It said the unrest was an attempt to discredit the organisation ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

EFF ward councillor candidate Gift Netshivhazulu said the party viewed the actions as a coordinated attempt to sabotage it.

However, a protester quoted in media reports identified the demonstrators with the EFF and said they opposed the reported fee increase because it would marginalise poor students.

The university did not provide further details in the update about the extent of the damage or whether any exams were cancelled.

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As South Africa’s higher education students work through the examination period, the pressure to perform can intensify.

With multiple assessments, demanding workloads and limited time between exams, many students find it difficult to stay focused, manage stress and maintain effective study routines, according to Pertunia Nkomo-Mofokeng, Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning at Rosebank International.

She said students can still improve their preparation by prioritising the material they need to understand, using effective revision techniques and taking steps to protect their well-being throughout the examination period.

“Exam success is not determined by how much time you spend studying in the final few days before an assessment. It is achieved through consistent effort, effective study techniques and a balanced approach to learning throughout the examination period.

“Students who plan ahead and engage actively with their learning material place themselves in a much stronger position to succeed,” said Nkomo-Mofokeng.

Exam pressure can affect students’ mental and physical well-being, as well as their academic performance. For South African students, these pressures are compounded by financial difficulties, demanding workloads and uncertainty about their future prospects.

She advised that whether preparing for an upcoming paper or moving between assessments, students can adopt strategies to make their study time more productive.

Tip 1: Create a realistic study plan

With exams under way, students may need to adjust their original study plans to accommodate remaining assessments and areas where they need additional support.

Prioritise subjects that require more attention and set daily goals to keep yourself on track. A well-structured plan can reduce stress and help you feel more in control.

Tip 2: Focus on understanding, not memorising

Higher education assessments often require students to analyse, evaluate and apply knowledge rather than simply recall facts.

Instead of memorising notes word-for-word, focus on understanding key concepts and how they connect to real-world scenarios. Ask yourself how theories, frameworks or principles can be applied in practice.

Tip 3: Use active learning techniques

Passive reading is rarely enough to retain information effectively. Try active learning methods such as:

• Summarising concepts in your own words
• Creating mind maps
• Using flashcards
• Teaching a concept to a friend or study partner
• Testing yourself with practice questions

These techniques improve understanding and help strengthen long-term memory.

Tip 4: Practise with past papers and mock assessments

One of the most effective ways to prepare for exams is to practise under exam conditions. Past papers help you become familiar with question formats, identify knowledge gaps and improve time management. Completing practice assessments under timed conditions can also build confidence and reduce exam-day anxiety.

Tip 5: Break big tasks into smaller goals

Looking at an entire semester’s worth of work can feel overwhelming. Instead of focusing on everything at once, break study sessions into smaller, achievable objectives. Completing one chapter, one topic or one set of practice questions at a time creates momentum and makes studying more manageable.

Tip 6: Take care of your physical and mental well-being

Academic performance is closely linked to overall well-being. During the exams, make sure you:

• Get sufficient sleep each night
• Stay hydrated
• Eat balanced meals
• Take regular breaks
• Make time for physical activity

A healthy body and mind can improve concentration, memory retention and productivity.

Tip 7: Minimise distractions

Your study environment plays an important role in your ability to focus. Choose a quiet study space and reduce distractions by putting your phone on silent, closing unnecessary browser tabs and limiting social media use during study sessions. Even short periods of uninterrupted focus can significantly improve productivity.

Tip 8: Prepare for an exam a day in advance

Avoid unnecessary stress by planning ahead. Make sure you know your examination venue, time and requirements. Gather any materials you may need the night before and aim to arrive early. On the day, trust the preparation you have done and focus on answering the questions one step at a time

Nkomo-Mofokeng said that effective study habits during the exam season can contribute not only to academic success, but also to the lifelong skills needed in the workplace and beyond.

“Examinations are an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learnt and how they can apply that knowledge. By approaching exams with preparation, confidence and a positive mindset, students can maximise their potential and achieve their academic goals,” she said.

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An educator accused of raping a nine-year-old Grade 4 learner at Busisiwe Primary School in Zola, Soweto, appeared in the Protea Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, as Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile called on communities to unite against sexual abuse and gender-based violence.

The court appearance followed the educator’s arrest after he reportedly handed himself over to police on Wednesday evening.

The outcome of Thursday’s proceedings could not be independently confirmed at the time of publication.

The allegations have sparked outrage among parents and community members, who gathered outside the school earlier this week to demand accountability and answers about how the matter was handled.

Maile attended the court proceedings on Thursday.

In a statement, the Gauteng Department of Education said the government had established a coordinated intervention involving the departments of Education, Social Development and Health, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other child-protection stakeholders.

“The protection and recovery of children affected by sexual abuse require coordinated and compassionate government assistance,” the department said.

Maile called on families, educators, religious leaders, communities and civil society organisations to work together to prevent child abuse and gender-based violence.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and it equally takes a united village to protect a child,” he said.

“We cannot allow moral decay, sexual violence and the abuse of vulnerable people to become normalised in our communities.”

He urged communities to allow law enforcement authorities and the judicial process to take their course without interference or prejudice.

Maile also appealed to the media to report responsibly, stressing that the learner’s identity, dignity and wellbeing must be protected throughout the proceedings.

The case came to public attention after allegations emerged that the learner had been sexually assaulted on the school premises.

According to reports, the alleged incident occurred on 8 October, when the learner reportedly asked to go to the toilet during class and the educator allegedly followed her.

The learner’s family subsequently raised concerns about the incident, while parents questioned the school’s response and demanded action against the educator.

On Tuesday, 20 October, parents and community members protested outside Busisiwe Primary School, expressing concern over the handling of the allegations.

Reports also indicated that the learner had been reluctant to return to school following the alleged incident.

The Gauteng Department of Education dispatched officials to investigate the matter.

On Wednesday, the department confirmed that the educator had been placed on precautionary suspension pending the finalisation of internal disciplinary proceedings.

The police investigation is separate from the department’s internal disciplinary process.

The department said the coordinated intervention would continue throughout the judicial process and beyond, with the aim of safeguarding the learner’s emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing.

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education also condemned the allegations and called for swift justice and stronger safeguards to ensure that schools remain safe environments for children.

“Any act of violence against a child within a school environment, particularly by an educator, constitutes an egregious breach of trust and the law,” committee chairperson Joy Maimela said.

The educator remains accused, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

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The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has confirmed that the principal of Franklin D Roosevelt Primary School in Randburg was sanctioned following an investigation into allegations that a school governing body (SGB) member was asked to pay about R5,000 to renew a contract.

GDE spokesperson Onwabile Lubhelwana told Inside Education that the internal disciplinary process had been concluded, while separate allegations of selling teaching posts and intimidation had not been formally reported to the department.

“The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) can confirm that the allegation relating to the demand for approximately R5000 has been investigated and internal disciplinary process concluded, and the principal was sanctioned accordingly,” Lubhelwana said.

The department not disclose the nature of the sanction or when it was imposed.

“However, no formal complaints on the allegation of selling of posts and intimidation have been reported to the Department. Once reported, the department will determine the cause of action.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA) this week called for an independent investigation into alleged financial irregularities, intimidation and staffing concerns at the school.

“We want an independent investigation into the allegations against the principal and disciplinary action against anyone found responsible for wrongdoing,” the DA said.

In a statement issued on Monday, DA Gauteng shadow MEC for education Sergio Isa Dos Santos accused the department of failing to resolve longstanding complaints involving the school’s management.

The controversy follows a protest by parents and SGB members outside the school on 13 October, when demonstrators called for the removal of principal Victor Matloga over allegations concerning his management.

Matloga had previously been dismissed and subsequently reinstated following proceedings at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).

The DA alleged that his reinstatement followed the department’s failure to submit required documentation within the prescribed timeframe.

However, in February, the Northcliff Melville Times reported that the department had given a different account of the proceedings.

Then-GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona told the publication that Matloga had been found guilty in an earlier disciplinary process, but that the finding did not warrant dismissal. He said Matloga successfully challenged the finding at arbitration and was exonerated.

The DA also raised concerns about educator shortages, including claims that Grade 5 Afrikaans classes were being combined because of a lack of qualified teachers.

“The situation has worsened, with 10 educators leaving the school and daily absences of at least four to five teachers,” the DA said.

The department disputed the allegations of a teacher shortage.

Lubhelwana said seven SGB employees and two GDE employees had resigned since September 2025 to pursue better employment opportunities, but that their positions had been filled.

“Numerous academic and leadership monitoring and support visits were conducted at the said school. District Officials have been allocated to mediate between the SGB and the school principal, to resolve differences and improve working relations, moving forward,” he said.

The DA has called on Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile to commission an independent investigation into the broader allegations and determine whether departmental officials failed in their duties.

The party said it would submit questions to Maile to establish the history of the dispute and assess whether the department’s handling of the matter was consistent with the documentary evidence it had obtained.

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) has opened applications for 5,500 police trainee positions for citizens aged 18 to under 35, with recruitment running until 13 November 2026.

The nationwide online recruitment drive opened on Wednesday, 21 October.

“If you are disciplined, physically fit, committed to serving your community and determined to help build a safer South Africa, this could be your moment,” SAPS said.

Eligible applicants with no criminal records or pending criminal cases are encouraged to apply through the official SAPS eRecruitment portal at www.erecruitment.saps.gov.za.

“The online application process, introduced in 2025, makes it easier for young people from all walks of life to apply for entry-level police trainee posts,” SAPS said.

Prospective applicants must create a profile on the portal and verify their accounts using a code sent to their email addresses.

Once their accounts have been verified, they can follow the step-by-step process to apply for available trainee posts.

“A QR code providing direct access to the portal will also be shared on SAPS’s official social media platforms,” SAPS said.

SAPS said it was seeking young people who could bring knowledge, skills, fresh perspectives and a commitment to excellence to the fight against crime.

“As part of its targeted recruitment drive, the SAPS will identify suitably qualified applicants with specific skills for consideration in specialised policing environments,” SAPS said.

“Graduates in Law, Policing, Criminology, Law Enforcement, Forensic Investigation and Information Technology may be considered for placement within the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks; Detective and Forensic Services; and Crime Intelligence.”

The recruitment process would also seek to identify suitably qualified young people from underrepresented racial groups who meet the prescribed requirements.

All applicants will undergo a selection process that includes fitness, psychometric and integrity testing, a medical evaluation and an interview.

“These assessments are designed to ensure that those selected possess the physical fitness, mental resilience, discipline and integrity required to serve and protect the people of South Africa,” SAPS said.

Successful recruits who hold a relevant National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 6 or higher qualification will undergo six months of training at a SAPS training academy, while those without such qualifications will complete the standard nine-month training programme.

All police trainees will receive a monthly stipend of R5,000 during their training.

“Applicants must remain vigilant against fraudsters who may demand money in exchange for employment or promise to influence the recruitment process,” SAPS said.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for an independent investigation into alleged financial irregularities, intimidation and staff shortages at a Johannesburg primary school, months after parents raised concerns about its principal’s reinstatement, and just a week after a protest at the school.

In a statement on Monday, the party accused the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) of failing to resolve longstanding complaints involving the management of Franklin D Roosevelt Primary School in Randburg.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education Sergio Isa Dos Santos said the allegations included the sale of posts, extortion and intimidation involving the school’s principal.

One complaint involved a school governing body (SGB) member who was allegedly asked to pay R5,000 to renew a contract.

The party also raised concerns about staffing shortages.

“The situation has worsened, with 10 educators leaving the school and daily absences of at least four to five teachers,” the DA said.

It claimed that Grade 5 Afrikaans classes were being combined because of a shortage of qualified educators, with some learners being taught by unqualified staff.

On 13 October, parents and SGB members protested outside the school, demanding the removal of principal Victor Matloga over longstanding allegations concerning his management.

In February, the Northcliff Melville Times reported that parents had protested against the reinstatement of Matloga following disciplinary proceedings.

SGB chairperson Fagmoedien Otto told the publication that complaints involving alleged financial mismanagement, intimidation, abuse of power and extortion had been raised with the department several years earlier.

Otto claimed that procedural failures by the department had undermined disciplinary proceedings against the principal.

However, the GDE disputed the suggestion that Matloga had escaped accountability solely because of procedural failures.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona told the publication at the time that the principal had been found guilty in disciplinary proceedings, but that the outcome did not warrant dismissal.

“Accordingly, he appealed the guilty verdict, and, as such, he was exonerated at arbitration, consequently there is no questionable conduct on his part,” Mabona said.

The department said it respected the arbitration outcome.

The DA has now questioned the handling of the case, alleging that the principal was reinstated by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) after the department failed to submit required documentation within the prescribed timeframe.

The party wants Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile to investigate the department’s handling of the matter and establish whether officials failed to carry out their responsibilities.

“We will submit questions to the MEC to establish the history of this case and determine whether it aligns with all the documentary evidence obtained,” the DA said.

It also wants an independent investigation into the allegations against the principal and disciplinary action against anyone found responsible for wrongdoing.

The department did not respond to questions from Inside Education. Their responses will be added once received.

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The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) has urged scholar transport operators to comply with licensing requirements and road safety regulations to improve learner safety across the province.

The call was made during an engagement with operators at Boekenhoutkloof Traffic College in Tshwane, as part of the department’s Learner Transport Education and Awareness Programme (LTEAP).

The programme focuses on operating licences, vehicle roadworthiness and responsible driving practices following concerns about learner transport incidents.

“Ensuring the safety of learners remains a shared responsibility,” the department said.

“Through responsible driving, regulatory compliance and sustained cooperation among all stakeholders, Gauteng can continue working towards safer and more reliable learner transport services across the province.”

Under the National Land Transport Act, individuals and businesses transporting passengers for a fee must hold valid operating licences.

Applicants must submit supporting documents, including copies of pupils’ identity documents, business registration paperwork, transport route maps and tax compliance certificates, among other requirements.

The engagement also highlighted the Gauteng Public Transport Regulatory Information System (GPTRIS), which aims to streamline licensing applications and allow operators to track their progress and identify outstanding requirements.

Operators were given an opportunity to raise concerns and discuss challenges affecting their businesses. The department said their feedback would inform further interventions to improve compliance and coordination.

The department has handed over 526 operating licences to compliant scholar transport and minibus taxi operators.

Since November last year, it has processed, issued and handed over more than 8,000 operating licences across the province.

The department plans to expand the LTEAP through a structured roadshow across Gauteng’s five regions to provide operators with guidance on their legal responsibilities and safety obligations.

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Equal Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) have demanded that Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube explain why school capacity regulations remain unpublished 10 days after a court-ordered deadline.

In a joint statement on Monday, the organisations called for the immediate publication of the final Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for School Capacity, saying that continued delays were leaving learners in overcrowded classrooms without adequate space and resources.

The deadline expired on 9 October, three years after the Gauteng High Court ordered the Minister of Basic Education to develop and publish the regulations in a case involving the South African Teachers’ Union (SAOU).

“This court order was not a suggestion; it was a directive that must be complied with. Learners cannot continue to wait while they are forced to learn in overcrowded classrooms without the space and resources they need,” the organisations said.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) did not respond to requests for comment from Inside Education.

The regulations are intended to establish clear rules governing how many learners schools can accommodate, how much space should be allocated to each learner and teacher, and when additional classrooms, teachers or other resources are required.

EE and the EELC said the absence of binding capacity regulations continued to undermine efforts to address overcrowding and ensure that learners had access to safe and adequate learning environments.

They warned that overcrowding limited individual attention from teachers, contributed to mobile classrooms becoming permanent structures and exacerbated the ongoing school admissions crisis.

The DBE published the first draft of the proposed regulations for public comment on 7 August 2025.

Following its release, EE and the EELC held workshops with learners and school communities to gather input on the proposals. They also hosted a public meeting attended by learners, community members and DBE representatives.

The organisations submitted consolidated comments to the department in December 2025, identifying several shortcomings in the draft.

These included the absence of a definition of overcrowding, clear implementation deadlines and clarity on the responsibilities of different stakeholders.

They also raised concerns about inconsistencies between the proposed formula for calculating classroom capacity and the teacher-to-learner ratios contained in the draft regulations.

EE, with support from the EELC, subsequently developed alternative proposals, known as shadow capacity norms, to account for the conditions faced by schools that were already overcrowded and under-resourced.

The organisations said they had sought an opportunity to present these proposals to the DBE but had not received the feedback they expected.

“We sought an opportunity to present these proposals to the DBE. However, despite the expectation that the DBE would respond, we have yet to receive the promised feedback,” they said.

EE and the EELC are now demanding the “immediate release” of the final regulations, a public explanation from Gwarube for missing the court-ordered deadline and binding implementation timelines supported by clear accountability mechanisms.

They also want the regulations to include a definition of overcrowding that prioritises schools most severely affected by the problem.

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South Africa’s Under-16 national soccer team have made an impressive statement in Germany, recording back-to-back victories over the youth teams of FC Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld ahead of the FIFA U-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan.

The young South Africans beat Arminia Bielefeld’s U16 side 5-0 on Saturday, in a friendly at the artificial-turf pitch at SchücoArena in Bielefeld. 

The emphatic victory followed a 2-0 win over FC Augsburg’s U16 team on Tuesday, 13 October, at the German club’s training facilities in Augsburg.

The matches formed part of the Bundesliga Dream South Africa project, which gave the team an opportunity to train in Germany, experience professional youth-development structures and test themselves against European opposition.

During their stay in Augsburg, the players also visited the club’s WWK ARENA, attended a Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich and met first-team players Juma Bah and Chrislain Matsima. 

According to reports, in Bielefeld, they trained with Arminia’s academy coaches and attended the senior side’s match against VfL Osnabrück at the Bielefelder Alm.

The victories provided valuable preparation for South Africa’s upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, which begins on 24 October and runs until 30 October.

The tournament will feature an eight-a-side format, offering the young players an opportunity to compete internationally and gain experience against teams from around the world.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is intensifying efforts to expand access to early childhood development (ECD), with around one million children aged three to five still not enrolled in any early learning programme.

Addressing the Bana Pele Leadership Summit at the Galleria Arena and Conference Centre in Sandton on Monday, Ramaphosa said government was committed to lowering the financial barriers preventing poor families from enrolling their children in early learning programmes.

“As government, we are committed to lowering this barrier,” he said, adding that funding for the ECD conditional grant had increased, although too few eligible facilities were benefiting.

Also speaking at the summit, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said around 1.2 million children aged three to five currently access early learning.

“One million children not accessing any ECD programme is not a statistic we can become comfortable with. It is the distance we still need to cover,” she said.

“So the question before us now is How do we make what is beginning to work, work everywhere?”

Gwarube said the daily ECD subsidy had increased from R17 to R24 per child, with more than 200,000 additional children receiving support over the past two years.

The eCares digital registration system was helping government identify and support early learning programmes, with almost 40,000 programmes registered, she said.

“All spheres of government and sector partners must work together to break down institutional barriers and make registration and support more accessible to ECD practitioners. Expanding access must go hand in hand with quality early learning, a supported workforce and the early identification of children’s developmental needs,” she said.

Ramaphosa said government was accelerating the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive, launched in 2025, to help centres meet registration requirements and expand access.

According to the President, South Africa has more than 39,000 registered early learning programmes.

Government aims to achieve universal access by 2030 through the Bana Pele Shared Blueprint, which seeks to improve coordination, strengthen data systems and professionalise the sector.

“It is our roadmap to universal access to early childhood development by 2030,” Ramaphosa said.

He cautioned against allowing registration requirements to exclude centres serving poor communities, saying compliance processes should help facilities improve while protecting children’s health and safety.

“Where a centre does not meet the required standards, our first response should be to determine what assistance it needs to become compliant,” he said.

Revised norms and standards for early learning centres were gazetted earlier this year, while Cabinet has approved the Children’s Amendment Bill for submission to Parliament. Ramaphosa said the proposed legislation would simplify rules governing early learning programmes.

The President also emphasised the importance of preparing children for formal schooling through structured literacy and numeracy development.

“Providing childcare is not the same as providing early education,” he said.

He said stronger foundations were needed to address learning gaps that leave millions of children unable to read for meaning by Grade 4.

Referring to the growing influence of artificial intelligence and automation, Ramaphosa said education needed to equip children with skills to navigate a changing world without losing the human interaction essential to their development.

“We must therefore prepare our children not merely to use the technologies of the future, but to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively and adapt to change,” he said.

Ramaphosa said expanding early learning would also help break the cycle of poverty, support women’s participation in the economy and create jobs for practitioners and those establishing centres.

He said ECD programmes could improve children’s health by providing nutritious meals, supporting vaccination programmes and connecting families to health and social services.

The President urged businesses to increase investment in early childhood development through infrastructure improvements, practitioner training, learning materials, digital resources and support for children from poor households.

“Business can help us accelerate our drive towards universal access by 2030,” he said.

“It is an investment in the workforce of the future,” he said.

Ramaphosa acknowledged the contribution of civil society and donors, including UNICEF, whose support has helped make curriculum packs available in all the country’s official languages. More than 70 non-governmental organisations are also assisting early learning centres with documentation and first-aid training.

He called on municipalities, community organisations, traditional and faith leaders, parents and businesses to support efforts to expand access to quality early education.

“Our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to a basic education,” he said.

“By making early learning the foundation of every child’s education, we are giving effect to that right.”

“Let us make sure that no child falls behind before they even reach school,” he said.

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This week, the second Bana Pele Leadership Summit is taking place in Gauteng. Bana Pele means ‘children first’ in Sesotho. It is a campaign led by the Department of Basic Education to strengthen and transform the delivery of early learning in the country.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) shapes a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural development. Quality early learning introduces the foundations of literacy and numeracy, such as recognising letters and numbers, building vocabulary, counting and solving simple problems. Children who start school with these skills are ready to read, write and work with numbers from their first year.

Grade R is now compulsory, so these skills are needed by the time a child turns five. Yet more than 1.3 million children aged three to five are not enrolled in any early learning programme.

Most of these children live in poorer communities, where paying even a low fee for a child to attend an ECD centre is a challenge. In contrast, children in better-resourced communities are far more likely to enter the foundation phase able to read for meaning and handle basic numeracy. Expanding access to early learning is therefore a development priority and a way of addressing historical inequalities. Every child, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, deserves the chance to learn and grow.

The second Bana Pele Summit brings together government, practitioners, communities, business, funders and civil society. It will take stock of progress towards our goal of ensuring that all children between the ages of three and five have access to affordable, equitable and quality early learning programmes by 2030.

Over the past two years, we have substantially increased investment in early learning. We have increased the subsidy for ECD attendees and committed further resources to expand access. Through these efforts, we aim to reach an additional 300,000 children by 2027 and a further 900,000 by 2030.

But investment alone is not enough. Public resources must reach the programmes and communities where they are needed most.

Through the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive, thousands of previously unregistered early learning programmes have taken their first step towards formal registration. The drive is bringing more providers into the national system, giving us a clearer picture of where programmes are located and helping us identify where further support is needed.

I have often said that we are starting late in building a formalised early childhood development system. Yet starting late should not mean starting slowly. The reforms we have embarked upon in early learning are part of a broader effort to renew South Africa’s socio-economic architecture.

Early learning touches on education, health, social protection, employment and the economy, and it is in these interconnected areas that its benefits will be felt most widely. By investing in our youngest children, we are laying the foundations for stronger schools, healthier communities, more inclusive growth and a more capable workforce for the decades ahead.

Early learning is a vital part of our care economy. These programmes do more than sustain the livelihoods of the people, mostly women, who run them. They also free parents and caregivers in communities where employment opportunities are often scarce to work, study or simply to provide for their families.

Strengthening early learning is therefore an investment not only in our children, but also in families, local economies and the people whose work sustains their care.

Credit must go to the people who care for and teach our children every day. A few years ago, I visited an early learning centre in Bizana in the Eastern Cape where I met with staff who had kept the centre going even when they could not be paid. I was deeply moved when they told me that they would not turn away a child simply because their family could not afford to pay an already low fee.

Across South Africa, countless practitioners show this same dedication. Many are women who have built small enterprises of their own to care for children in their communities. We are committed to supporting them and to ensuring they get the recognition they deserve. Early childhood development practitioners play a vital role in the future educational outcomes of young learners.

We can further accelerate access to ECD through the support of the private sector. Many companies already incorporate education in their Environmental, Social and Governance strategies, but much of it is on basic education and not specifically targeting early learning.

Corporate support, whether in the form of subsidising fees, upgrading facilities or funding practitioner training, will help us to achieve our early learning goals.

Advancing early learning is a shared national responsibility. Our efforts to support our youngest citizens today are a solid investment not only in their future, but in the very growth and progress of our country.

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Professor Wezile Chitha has been appointed vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Fort Hare following a unanimous decision by the university’s Council at a special meeting on Friday.

Chitha is expected to assume office in the first quarter of 2027.

He is currently executive dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, where he also serves as an associate professor of health systems and policy.

A medical doctor, health economist and experienced academic executive, Chitha takes over as Fort Hare advances its institutional re-visioning and rebirth agenda, which aims to strengthen academic excellence, research, governance, infrastructure and the student experience towards 2040.

He replaces Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, who resigned in September shortly before he was due to begin presenting his defence at a disciplinary hearing.

Buhlungu faces several disciplinary charges, including gross misconduct, insubordination and bringing the university into disrepute.

Council chairperson Dr Siyanda Makaula said the appointment reflected confidence in Chitha’s academic credentials, leadership experience and understanding of institutional governance and transformation.

“The appointment of Professor Chitha marks an important moment in the history of the University of Fort Hare as we advance our journey of institutional re-visioning and rebirth,” Makaula said.

Chitha holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), a master’s degree in public health specialising in Health Economics from the University of Cape Town, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health from Walter Sisulu University.

He currently serves as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, where he is also an Associate Professor of Health Systems and Policy.

His previous leadership roles include Acting Assistant Dean for Strategic Affairs at the University of the Witwatersrand and founding Director of the Albertina Sisulu Centre for Global Health and Research.

He was also elected president of the Health Professions Council of South Africa for the 2025-2030 term.

Before moving further into academic leadership, Chitha held senior management positions in the public healthcare sector, overseeing hospital services and implementing health programmes.

As head of Mowbray Maternity Hospital, he managed obstetric and neonatal services at the regional hospital, alongside community-based midwife obstetric units serving peri-urban communities.

Under his leadership, the hospital received the Western Cape Premier’s Service Excellence Award, announced in early 2008.

Later that year, Frontier Hospital, where he served as chief medical superintendent, was named the Eastern Cape Department of Health’s best-performing hospital.

His research interests include health systems strengthening, public health policy, health economics, clinical governance and equitable access to healthcare.

Fort Hare said Chitha’s appointment comes as the university prepares a new strategic framework to guide its development towards 2040, with priorities including research impact, institutional sustainability, effective governance, infrastructure development and an improved student experience.

Makaula said the university needed leadership that could preserve its historical legacy while responding to the demands of higher education.

“As we look towards 2040, our responsibility is to build a University that honours its extraordinary history while responding decisively to the demands of the future,” he said.

The university said the recruitment process followed its approved procedures and included candidate screening, shortlisting, competency-based assessments, strategic presentations and structured interviews.

On October 15, shortlisted candidates presented their visions for the university’s development towards 2040 at a joint sitting of Council, Senate and the Institutional Forum. Representatives of the Student Representative Council, Convocation and organised labour also attended.

Formal interviews took place on October 16.

Council considered the unanimous recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor Recruitment and Selection Committee, institutional voting outcomes and candidate assessments before making its decision.

According to the university, Chitha was the highest-ranked candidate in both the Senate and Institutional Forum assessments.

Makaula said the process demonstrated the importance of participation and collective responsibility in selecting the university’s leadership.

He congratulated Chitha on his appointment and called on students, staff, alumni and other stakeholders to support the incoming vice-chancellor.

“The future of Fort Hare is a shared responsibility, and its success will depend on the collective commitment of our students, staff, alumni and institutional stakeholders,” Makaula said.

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The exclusion of Black voices from cultural institutions and the appropriation of African heritage by global commercial interests have renewed questions about who controls, preserves and benefits from the continent’s cultural narratives.

These issues took centre stage at the Yale Directors Forum 2026 Global Symposium in Johannesburg on Tuesday, where international cultural leaders examined how museums and heritage institutions can confront historical inequalities, recognise African knowledge and ensure communities retain a voice in how their histories are told.

Held from 12 to 16 October, the symposium brought together museum directors, curators, conservators, academics and creative practitioners from 15 countries to explore the role of cultural institutions in preserving history while responding to contemporary social and economic realities.

Convened by Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH), the gathering focused on representation, institutional transformation and the recognition of African knowledge, with discussions extending beyond museum collections to include textiles, food, music, photography, religious traditions and creative enterprises.

In her welcoming address, Charlotte Ashamu, director of international programmes at Yale’s IPCH, said the Yale Directors Forum emerged from conversations with people establishing museums, libraries and cultural spaces across Africa, many of whom were working in isolation and using their own resources.

The programme was established to connect these leaders, enabling them to exchange knowledge, build professional relationships and learn from one another’s experiences.

Ashamu said the network had grown to include 28 fellows across 15 countries, with participation extending to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The initiative promotes the exchange of knowledge, recognising that cultural institutions in Africa and the Global South have valuable expertise to contribute to international heritage preservation.

Through the network, fellows have visited one another’s institutions, collaborated on projects and introduced organisational changes, including staff training and specialised departments such as collections management.

Ashamu said preservation extended beyond exhibitions and public programmes, requiring the patience, technical expertise and rigour of the people responsible for ensuring cultural materials remained accessible to future generations.

She also highlighted the importance of recognising the knowledge embedded in African textiles and other cultural practices.

Drawing on her personal connection to textiles through her mother, aunts and grandmothers, Ashamu said their significance extended beyond aesthetics and fashion.

Textiles carry histories, techniques and knowledge passed down through generations, yet African traditions are often used by global fashion brands without adequate recognition of their origins, she said.

She stressed the need to document these traditions and acknowledge the communities and practitioners responsible for sustaining them.

The discussion raised broader questions about who receives recognition for cultural knowledge, whose histories are documented and whose contributions are overlooked when traditional practices enter global commercial markets.

Reclaiming Black histories

The symposium also examined how museums can confront difficult histories and challenge institutional practices that have excluded Black people from positions of influence.

Anthropologist and curator Hélio Menezes drew on his experience at Museu Afro Brasil, now known as Museu Afro Brasil Emanuel Araújo, to illustrate how cultural institutions can develop more inclusive and historically grounded accounts of society.

Menezes, whose research explores contemporary art, race, archives and Afro-diasporic practices, said he had studied the museum for about 15 years before becoming its artistic director.

Founded in 2004, the museum holds a collection that, according to Menezes, demonstrates why Brazil cannot be understood without acknowledging the central role of Africa and the African diaspora in shaping its identity.

He highlighted Brazil’s history of slavery, saying about five million Africans were brought to the country through the transatlantic slave trade. Brazil abolished slavery in 1888, becoming the last country in the Americas to do so.

Despite the profound influence of African heritage on Brazilian art, culture and society, the country continues to grapple with racism and inequalities affecting Black communities, he said.

Menezes challenged the notion of Brazil as a racial democracy in which different populations blended harmoniously, describing it as a myth that obscures racial discrimination.

He said the museum’s collection offered an opportunity to confront these contradictions and recognise the African foundations of Brazilian society.

However, transforming the institution required more than displaying historically significant objects.

When he assumed leadership, the museum faced weaknesses in conservation, governance, programming and publishing. Menezes also questioned its limited engagement with contemporary African and Afro-Brazilian artists, curators, critics and other cultural practitioners.

He said the museum’s board had consisted entirely of white men from Brazil’s elite during its first 15 years, highlighting the disconnect between its African-centred collection and the lack of diversity in its governance.

The imbalance raised questions about who holds decision-making power in institutions established to represent Black histories and experiences.

Menezes said his appointment came with considerable challenges because he had previously criticised the museum’s curatorial choices and institutional structure.

He accepted the opportunity to help transform the institution and broaden its understanding of African and Afro-Brazilian cultural production.

Changes included introducing contemporary African artists into the collection, moving beyond displays that relied heavily on ethnographic interpretations of African art.

The museum also reconsidered how it presented slavery, seeking to move beyond representations centred on suffering and the aesthetics of torture towards a fuller account of African and Islamic contributions to Brazil’s production techniques and labour history.

Its treatment of Afro-Brazilian religions was expanded to acknowledge connections with other Black religious traditions across the Americas, including Cuba and the southern United States.

Menezes also described efforts to improve representation in the museum’s historical displays. In one section, about 85% of the people depicted were Black men, prompting the institution to include more Black women and broaden the narratives presented to visitors.

These changes formed part of a wider effort to move beyond narrow national interpretations of cultural heritage and recognise the historical exchanges connecting Africa, Brazil and the wider Atlantic world.

Heritage as an economic resource

The Johannesburg symposium also explored cultural heritage as a source of economic opportunity, highlighting its links to tourism, creative enterprise and cultural businesses.

The discussions recognised that traditions and historical knowledge could support livelihoods while strengthening communities’ understanding of their identities.

Johannesburg was presented as a fitting setting for the conversations because of its position as a regional arts and cultural hub, with a living heritage expressed through its neighbourhoods, music, food, photography and contemporary creative industries.

The programme includes a visit to Eyethu Heritage Hall in Soweto on Wednesday. The cultural space draws on the legacy of Eyethu Cinema, one of South Africa’s first Black-owned cinemas.

The visit is hosted by Yale Directors Forum fellow Batana Vundla, executive director of Eyethu Heritage Hall, and includes musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka.

The engagement highlights the importance of preserving community-based cultural spaces and recognising the people and institutions that safeguard histories beyond conventional museum settings.

Through its international network, the Yale Directors Forum aims to strengthen collaboration among cultural leaders and support institutions in preserving collections, expanding public engagement and responding to changing social realities.

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Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has called on universities to renew their public purpose, saying that financial pressures, artificial intelligence and the unfinished transformation of higher education demand a fundamental rethink of their role in society.

Speaking at a national webinar titled The Intellectual Directions of Higher Education in South Africa: Reimagining the Futures of the University on Monday, Manamela said universities needed to examine whether their teaching, research and institutional priorities were making meaningful contributions to society.

He said an excessive focus on immediate challenges, including student debt, accommodation shortages, governance disputes and institutional instability, risked overshadowing their fundamental purpose.

“If every conversation begins with and ends with the crisis of the moment, we may as well keep institutions functioning, but we are not asking what they are functioning for,” Manamela said.

“What is the South African university for in the world that is emerging and in the society that we’re still struggling to build?”

He said universities should not be reduced to factories producing certificates, consultancies for the state or recruitment agencies for employers, but should remain spaces for discovering knowledge, challenging established thinking and developing human capabilities.

“The unfinished democratic project is also an unfinished intellectual project,” he said.

Universities must serve society

Manamela challenged institutions to examine who produced knowledge, whose experiences were recognised in research, which languages carried academic authority and which communities benefited from their discoveries.

He outlined four priorities: renewing universities’ public purpose, confronting the political economy of higher education, responding to artificial intelligence and the changing world of work, and deepening intellectual transformation.

He said their public value depended on whom they admitted, how they taught, what they researched and whether their work benefited communities beyond campus boundaries.

Institutions located near communities experiencing water insecurity, unemployment, failing infrastructure and preventable diseases should not remain intellectually detached from those realities.

“Academic excellence is also not a licence for social indifference,” Manamela said.

Funding pressures threaten sustainability

Turning to funding, he said growing demand for higher education had intensified financial pressures on students, families and institutions.

Although the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) had expanded opportunities, administrative weaknesses and the widening gap between funding commitments and available resources threatened the sustainability of the post-school education system.

Manamela said South Africa did not need 26 universities attempting to replicate the same institutional model, but rather a connected system with distinct strengths and responsibilities.

He called for government, institutions, students, employers and other partners to develop a sustainable funding model that protected educational quality, reduced unnecessary duplication and strengthened cooperation.

AI forces a rethink of teaching

On artificial intelligence, Manamela said generative AI offered opportunities for research, translation, administration and teaching, but also posed risks, including bias, fabricated evidence and growing dependence on proprietary technology.

He warned that students could mistake fluent AI-generated responses for genuine understanding, requiring universities to reconsider assessment methods and emphasise critical thinking, ethical judgement and evaluating evidence.

Manamela also called for investment in African AI research infrastructure, open resources and technologies supporting African languages, warning against permanent dependence on systems developed elsewhere.

Decolonising knowledge and research

Addressing intellectual transformation, he said decolonisation should neither become an institutional slogan nor mean rejecting every idea originating outside Africa.

Instead, it required examining how power shaped knowledge production, whose ideas were regarded as universal and whose knowledge was marginalised.

He argued that African languages needed a stronger place in scholarship and that institutions should connect different forms of knowledge to address environmental and social challenges.

“The planetary crisis is not somewhere outside of our country. It is present in our municipalities, in our farms, mines. And so universities should connect scientific, technical, social, and indigenous knowledge to understand this challenge,” he said.

Manamela also warned against allowing science, technology, engineering and mathematics to dominate discussions at the expense of the arts and humanities.

“Our role is obviously not to prescribe one intellectual doctrine, tempting as that can be. Our role is to defend, as the government, as the ministry, academic freedom, to enable access and quality, but also to support research and innovation,” he said.

Students need more than admission

Nelson Mandela University vice-chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa welcomed Manamela’s call, saying the future of higher education could not be secured through technical adjustments, funding interventions and governance reforms alone.

She said universities needed renewed intellectual imagination and a deeper understanding of their responsibilities to society.

“Students do not merely seek admission, they seek to belong, they seek recognition, they seek opportunities to develop their capabilities, their confidence,” Muthwa said.

She urged institutions to approach AI critically, preparing graduates to question its outputs, recognise biases, understand its limitations and exercise accountability rather than embracing or rejecting the technology uncritically.

“The challenge before us is profoundly educational before it is technological,” she said.

Muthwa said graduates needed to interpret information, navigate uncertainty and exercise sound judgement.

Expanding access to higher education

Professor Linda Meyer, President of Rosebank International, said expanding access required cooperation between government, public and private institutions and other social partners.

She said limited university capacity made expanding opportunities an urgent concern for youth development and economic growth.

“We cannot have a system that erodes our universities’ budgets and creates fiscal instabilities in our higher education institutions,” she said.

Meyer also called for greater recognition of technical and vocational education and questioned the dominance of English in academic instruction, urging institutions to normalise postgraduate research in indigenous languages.

“The proof is in the output and the proof is in access,” Meyer said.

Beyond rankings and performance targets

University of the Free State vice-chancellor and principal Professor Hester Klopper said universities needed to consider not only what they were good at, but what they were ultimately good for.

She warned that financial pressures, graduate outcomes and performance indicators could distract institutions from broader intellectual responsibilities.

“If we simply do more of what we already do, and if we think we do it more efficiently, and if we are still making a choice in terms of what drives it, it speaks ultimately to the question that the honourable minister has put on the table,” she said.

Klopper supported institutions developing distinct strengths rather than following identical models.

She also defended the humanities, saying history, philosophy and literature helped students interpret evidence, understand ambiguity and develop ethical judgement, particularly as AI became more prominent.

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King Edward VII (KES) has dethroned defending champions Hoërskool Waterkloof in a four-run thriller to lift the Wildeklawer Noord-Suid T20 Tournament trophy, with KES player Troy Gordon’s match-winning 78 proving decisive.

Playing at Camp Discovery, in the Dinokeng Conservation Area in Limpopo on Sunday, Gordon struck 10 fours in his 57-ball innings to rescue KES from a modest batting display, powering them to 148/7 before a disciplined bowling performance restricted Waterkloof to 144/7.

The victory denied Waterkloof a fourth title in five editions of the prestigious schoolboy competition and gave KES a tournament triumph built on resilience, composure and a bowling unit that repeatedly delivered under pressure.

Speaking to the media after the match, KES head coach Pieter van Rooyen praised his players for defending modest totals throughout the knockout stages, with their quarterfinal, semifinal and final victories all decided by single-digit margins.

“The boys showed great character, composure, and good application in defending fairly modest totals in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and the final. Our bowlers showed some really good discipline to be able to get us over the line in those three games, where it all went down to single-digit wins,” Van Rooyen said.

Gordon was central to KES’ success in the final, anchoring the innings while wickets fell around him.

Batting at number three, he struck 10 fours and contributed more than half of his side’s total in an innings that ultimately proved the difference between the two finalists.

His best partnership was a 48-run stand for the second wicket with Tiago Dias, who scored 17.

Dias was KES’s second-highest scorer, underlining just how important Gordon’s contribution was to giving his team a competitive total.

Morné Steyn added 14, while Kyle Henenne remained unbeaten on 11.

KES’s other batters struggled to make substantial contributions, but Gordon ensured they had enough runs to challenge Waterkloof.

His performance earned him the Player of the Match award, although the tournament’s individual batting honour went to Paarl Boys’ High’s 14-year-old Gilmer Horn.

Grey College’s Wilhelmus van der Schyff was named Bowler of the Tournament.

Defending 149, KES needed their bowlers to reproduce the discipline that had carried them through the knockout rounds, and they responded with another determined effort.

Steele Grooteman led the attack, claiming 3/21 from three overs, including the crucial dismissal of Waterkloof’s Juan Swart.

Swart had threatened to turn the contest in the defending champions’ favour, scoring 33 off just 20 deliveries.

But, Grooteman’s intervention prevented him from building on his promising start.

Connor Kuijers, Matthew de Jong, Morné Steyn and Tyler Cloete also contributed with wickets, taking one apiece as KES kept Waterkloof from establishing the partnerships needed to take control of the chase.

Waterkloof remained in contention until the closing overs, with Vorster de Villiers launching a late assault, finishing unbeaten on 31 from 18 balls, while Juan Cloete contributed an unbeaten 25.

Their efforts brought the defending champions within touching distance, but KES held firm to seal the four-run victory and lift the trophy.

Van Rooyen said his team had expected a fierce challenge from Waterkloof and knew they would have to remain composed until the final delivery.

“We always knew that Waterkloof was going to fight to the very end. We just had to stay in the fight for as long as possible to be able to get over the line,” he said.

Elsewhere, Northwood claimed third place after beating Menlopark by 11 runs; St David’s Marist Inanda finished fifth after crushing Affies by 63 runs; and St Andrew’s School secured seventh place with a 64-run victory over Paarl Boys’ High.

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The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has registered 203,794 candidates for the 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, an increase of 11,049 from last year.

The cohort comprises 152,527 full-time candidates and 51,267 part-time and repeater candidates. The examinations will run from October 13 to November 26.

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile briefed the media on Monday on the province’s state of readiness, saying the 2026 cohort was the first in Gauteng’s history to exceed 200,000 candidates.

“This is a reflection of both the quantitative increase in the population of Gauteng, and by extension its learner population, as well as a reflection of the trust in the qualitative strength of the education system in the province,” Maile said.

A total of 192,745 candidates registered for the examinations in 2025.

Maile said all three categories of candidates — full-time, part-time and repeaters — had increased this year.

The examinations will cover 77 subjects, comprising 155 question papers. While full-time candidates are required to write seven subjects, almost 20,000 will also write an eighth subject.

Examinations will be administered across all 12 official South African languages, as well as foreign languages at the applicable levels.

English recorded the highest enrolments at Home Language and First Additional Language levels, with 54,163 and 98,350 candidates, respectively. This was followed by isiZulu at Home Language level, with 31,940 candidates, and Afrikaans at First Additional Language level, with 44,879.

Maile said 70.7% of full-time candidates had registered for Mathematical Literacy, compared with 29.3% for Mathematics.

The examinations will be written at 1,065 registered and audited centres across the province.

Enrolments range from two to 545 candidates at full-time centres and from nine to 1,513 at part-time centres.

Maile said the department had worked with all 15 education districts and schools to ensure operational readiness.

School principals will serve as chief invigilators, while additional support will be provided to high-risk centres, including those with large enrolments, newly established centres and those that experienced examination challenges in previous years.

Private chief invigilators and resident monitors have been appointed and trained to strengthen oversight at these centres.

The department will print, package and distribute an estimated 2.7 million question papers, comprising 76.5 million print images, to 16 storage points each week. The papers will then be distributed daily to examination centres through 75 dedicated distribution points.

Approximately 1,700 monitors, including provincial, district and resident monitors, will oversee the examination process.

Their responsibilities include checking examination systems and centre readiness, inspecting secure storage facilities, verifying key management and the chronological storage of question papers, and auditing electronic security measures.

The department has also audited school-based assessments, practical assessment tasks and teacher files.

“Our target remains 100% monitoring coverage, exceeding the national requirement of 70%,” Maile said.

Preparations for marking are at an advanced stage, with 27 marking centres identified and audited. The appointment of 14,800 marking personnel is under way.

Maile said systems and resources had been put in place to process examination scripts and capture marks ahead of the release of the 2026 results on January 12, 2027.

Security and examination integrity

The department has introduced measures to prevent examination irregularities, including a pledge-signing ceremony held at schools across the province on October 9.

Candidates were briefed on examination rules, the code of conduct and the sanctions for non-compliance.

Maile said penalties for disruptive or dishonest behaviour could include the nullification of results, delays in obtaining a matric qualification and exclusion from up to three future examination cycles, depending on the severity of the offence.

Security measures across the examination process include secure printing facilities, audited storage and distribution points, armed security escorts, access controls, surveillance systems and double-locking mechanisms.

“All district storage facilities and distribution points have been audited and strengthened security arrangements are in place for the duration of the examination,” he said.

The department will also use real-time reporting systems and security scanners at examination room entrances to detect concealed electronic devices.

Maile said the scanners were intended to identify sophisticated cheating devices, including smart glasses, spy pens with hidden recording technology and micro-earpieces, rather than invade learners’ privacy.

“With the rise of ‘cheat-tech’, students are increasingly using highly sophisticated gadgets to smuggle information into examination centres,” he said.

“Super security scanners help by detecting hidden wireless signals, adding a necessary layer to ensuring the integrity of the examination process.”

The department will also work with police and other law enforcement agencies where necessary to prevent disruptions during the examination period.

Maile said measures would be taken to prevent examination paper leaks, adding that question papers were kept in guarded facilities.

Academic support for candidates

Maile said the department had provided additional academic support throughout the year through programmes targeting learners who needed assistance, as well as those seeking to improve their results.

The Secondary School Improvement Programme (SSIP), managed in partnership with the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, supports priority and underperforming high schools from Grades 8 to 12, with intensive assistance for matric candidates.

The programme focuses on gateway subjects, including Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Accounting, English First Additional Language, Economics, Business Studies, History and Geography.

It provides free Saturday classes, holiday lessons, examination preparation camps, tutoring, learning materials, catering and transport assistance.

Maile said digital learning resources had also increased candidates’ access to subject-based learning and assessment activities.

Special monitoring teams track attendance, teaching quality and pre- and post-test results to identify and address learning gaps.

He said SSIP had helped learners affected by disruptions during the year, including service delivery protests and interruptions to municipal services.

The department also runs a High Flyer Programme for top-performing Grade 12 learners, offering specialised tuition and revision camps aimed at improving distinction rates and bachelor-level passes.

The programme focuses on subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting and Business Studies, providing specialised notes, structured learning materials and problem-solving sessions led by subject advisers and experienced teachers.

Maile said the programme was designed to meet the needs of advanced learners who might not be sufficiently challenged by the pace of conventional classroom teaching.

The department’s Just-in-Time Programme provides short-term professional development for teachers ahead of specific curriculum requirements. It combines standardised lesson plans, learning materials and classroom coaching.

Candidates will also have access to daily revision opportunities ahead of examination papers.

Gauteng targets further improvement

Gauteng recorded its highest-ever matric pass rate of 89.1% in 2025, continuing a five-year trend of annual improvement since 2021.

The province ranked third nationally, producing 67,861 bachelor passes, equivalent to 48.15% of candidates who wrote the examinations.

All 15 districts achieved pass rates above 83%.

Johannesburg West was the top-performing district, with a pass rate of 96.2%, while Gauteng East recorded the lowest rate at 83.7%. Independent schools in the province achieved a pass rate of 94.82%.

Maile said the department was confident that the Class of 2026 would continue the upward trajectory, given the support provided throughout the year and during the examination period.

He called on parents, guardians and communities to help candidates prepare by providing suitable study environments, limiting household chores and ensuring learners were well-rested.

Through its “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” programme, the department has emphasised the role of families and communities in supporting learners.

Maile urged communities not to block access roads or school gates during the examination period, warning that candidates who missed papers because of disruptions would have to write them in the June 2027 examinations.

Such delays could affect their transition to higher education and training.

He also advised candidates to limit their use of social media during the examination period, saying it could affect their mental and emotional well-being.

“The Department cannot over-emphasise the importance of candidates maintaining personal integrity during this process,” he said.

“Cheating has no place in our examination system. We call on every candidate to uphold the values of integrity, honesty and hard work espoused in the NSC Pledge that all candidates have already signed.”

Acting Gauteng education head of department Albert Chanee said the department had established policies and guidelines to prevent political campaigning from disrupting schools during the election period.

“There is an established protocol that there is no political campaigning, and that no political officer can come into a school to address the staff unless it is on community matters,” Chanee said.

He said the protocol had been in place for a long time and had not caused problems in previous years.

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KwaZulu-Natal is preparing to accommodate a record 203,815 candidates for the 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, which begin on Tuesday.

Provincial Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka announced the figures on Monday during a media briefing on the department’s state of readiness at the Maritime School of Excellence in Durban.

He said the record number of candidates had prompted the department to strengthen its examination systems to ensure the process was conducted securely and efficiently.

Of the registered candidates, 188,102 are full-time and 15,713 are part-time. The total represents an increase of 7,916 candidates, or about 4%, from the 195,899 registered in 2025.

“This is the biggest examination ever conducted by the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, and the biggest examination operation in the country,” Hlomuka said.

The examinations will run from October 13 to November 26.

Hlomuka said the increase reflected the growing number of learners reaching the end of their schooling, but also placed greater responsibility on the department to ensure every candidate had a fair and secure opportunity to complete their Grade 12 qualification.

The department has trained about 31,156 invigilators to oversee examinations at approximately 1,766 centres across the province.

It expects to print 112 question papers, amounting to about 32 million individual prints. Examination materials will be distributed through 13 storage points and 103 distribution and collection centres.

The examination timetable comprises 29 morning sessions and 24 afternoon sessions, requiring careful coordination to ensure question papers reach the correct centres on time and under secure conditions.

The department has also trained chief invigilators and invigilators, while district teams have been briefed on examination rules, procedures and protocols.

“The integrity of the NSC examinations is non-negotiable. Every learner must be confident that their performance will be assessed fairly and that the examination process is protected from any form of malpractice or irregularity,” Hlomuka said.

The department is working with relevant joint operations and management structures to maintain a secure examination environment.

Preparations are also under way for marking, with 12,386 personnel expected to be appointed.

The team will comprise 8,186 markers, 1,637 senior markers, 325 deputy chief markers, 67 chief markers, 65 internal moderators, 348 examination administration personnel and 1,758 examination assistants.

Hlomuka said appointment letters for markers were expected to be issued by October 16.

Marking is scheduled to begin on December 2 and conclude on December 11.

The national announcement of the 2026 NSC results is scheduled for January 11, 2027, followed by KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial announcement on January 12.

Hlomuka urged candidates to approach the examinations with discipline and confidence, saying the department had provided additional academic support through winter tuition programmes and spring boot camps.

More than 4,380 learners benefited from the winter camps held between June and July, while spring boot camps were conducted across all 11 districts during October to provide support in key and challenging subjects.

The department has also been piloting a virtual therapy programme to support the mental well-being and examination preparation of candidates and educators.

“The key to succeed in this assessment phase is to approach every examination with discipline, confidence and determination,” Hlomuka said.

“Read every question carefully. Manage your time. The biggest enemy that seeks to undermine your preparation is anxiety. You must not allow it to win.”

He appealed to parents, guardians and communities to provide learners with supportive environments in which they could study, prepare and rest adequately.

“The NSC is more than an examination. It is an important gateway to higher education, skills development, employment and economic opportunity,” he said.

With the examinations coinciding with the November 4 local government elections, Hlomuka said measures had been introduced to minimise disruptions.

He said the department had also revised the timetable for internal examinations for Grades 4 to 11 to protect learners during the election period.

Those examinations are scheduled to run from October 21 to November 14.

The department said it was confident that its preparations would allow the province to accommodate the record number of matric candidates without compromising the credibility and integrity of the examinations.

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Deputy Minister of Basic Education Dr Reginah Mhaule has called on parents, educators and community leaders to give girls more opportunities to lead, saying that confidence cannot flourish in communities that tolerate violence against women and children.

She was speaking at the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child commemoration at Die Wilge Special School in Potchefstroom, North West, on Monday.

“Notice the girl who has gone quiet. Give her the opportunity to lead and give it to her more than once,” Mhaule said.

The event was held under the theme “Building Confident Leadership for Girls” and brought together 240 learners, educators and community stakeholders through a collaboration between the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Dove, Unilever and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).

Mhaule urged parents and caregivers to give their daughters the same educational opportunities as their sons.

“To parents and caregivers, invest in your daughter’s education with the same conviction as you invest in your sons. Listen to them, protect them, and let them see that you believe in them,” she said.

She also called on traditional and religious leaders, local government representatives and communities to help create safer environments for girls.

“Girls cannot be confident in communities that tolerate violence against women and children. We need our communities and the leaders of communities more than before,” she said.

Mhaule stressed the importance of sustaining partnerships between government, communities and organisations working to advance girls’ development.

“The gains we have made are real, but they are fragile and they will only last if we sustain them together,” she said.

She thanked artists who had volunteered their time to support the initiative and urged stakeholders to remain committed to empowering young people.

“Because when a girl believes in herself, she does not only change her own future, she helps shape the future of the nation,” Mhaule said.

Miss South Africa 2025 Qhawekazi Mazaleni also encouraged girls to embrace courage and remain authentic, saying leadership often required people to act despite their fears.

During a panel discussion, Mazaleni reflected on her experience entering the Miss South Africa competition and her decision to cut her hair while awaiting confirmation of whether she had progressed.

She said she had initially hesitated because she believed she looked “more beautiful” with long braids. However, she eventually questioned that belief and cut her hair, only to learn shortly afterwards that she had made it into the competition.

The experience prompted her to reconsider whether she should change her appearance to meet perceived beauty standards.

“Courage doesn’t mean that you’re not afraid of what you’re going to do. It means going ahead and doing it anyways,” Mazaleni said.

She explained that her decision to enter Miss South Africa had been driven by a desire to make a difference rather than by beauty.

“I think beauty is the least interesting thing about a person. I entered Miss South Africa because I saw I wanted to make a change,” she said.

Mazaleni said she wanted to improve education in South Africa, particularly inclusive education and support for people with autism.

Understanding her purpose, she said, helped her resist pressure to conform to beauty expectations.

“So was I afraid? Yes. But I think that courage and knowing why I was there in the first place really carried me through,” she said.

The commemoration also highlighted school-based programmes aimed at developing young people’s self-esteem and resilience.

Through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, facilitator-led workshops are delivered in South African schools in collaboration with educators and the DBE.

The workshops help learners develop a positive relationship with their appearance, challenge societal pressures and recognise their potential.

According to the department, the programme also provides opportunities for age-appropriate discussions about School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV), supporting efforts to create safer and more inclusive learning environments.

The partnership combines Dove’s expertise in body confidence and self-esteem, the department’s reach through schools and the DBSA’s development expertise.

The North West was selected as the focus province for the 2026 programme, with partners aiming to extend its impact through sustained school-based initiatives rather than a once-off event.

Observed annually on 11 October, the International Day of the Girl Child celebrates girls’ achievements while drawing attention to barriers that continue to limit their opportunities.

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As the Class of 2026 enters the final stretch of preparations for the National Senior Certificate examinations, Grade 12 learners are balancing exam pressure with hopes and uncertainty about life after matric.

The exams start on Tuesday and will end on 25 November.

The Department of Basic Education has urged learners to make every study session count by practising active recall rather than simply reading their notes.

It has advised learners to put their notes away after studying and test how much they remember by writing down key points or answering questions without looking at their study material.

During a recent post-Cabinet media briefing, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that schools were focusing on structured revision and additional academic support.

She also urged learners who felt overwhelmed to seek professional help.

“If you or a matric learner in your care feels overwhelmed, free professional help is available 24 hours a day from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group at 0800-12-13-14,” she said.

Speaking to Inside Education, learners described different experiences as they prepared for their final exams, with some confident in their readiness while others were anxious and concerned about academic support.

Lwazi Nkosi, a Grade 12 learner at Prudens Secondary School in Soweto, said he felt well prepared, despite occasional challenges that shook his confidence.

“I do believe in myself. I do believe in my capabilities. And I’ve got this, I’ve got this,” he said.

Nkosi said identifying his weaknesses and developing strategies to address them had helped him improve. He relies mainly on past exam papers to test his understanding and identify areas requiring further attention.

He achieved 100% in Geography and 90% in History in his preparatory examinations.

However, he acknowledged that his plans for life after matric might have to change depending on circumstances.

“You see, as a person, you might have plans, but you are not certain what life will be like,” he said.

For Ayanda Magawu of Lethulwazi Secondary School in Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni, the countdown to the exams has brought considerable pressure.

Magawu, who takes science subjects, said she had been using a study timetable and attending online classes to strengthen her understanding.

Despite her preparation, she believes pupils can never feel completely ready for the finals.

“No one is ever well prepared for final exams. You’ll tell yourself you’ll be fooling yourself telling yourself, ‘I’m prepared for finals.’ No one’s ever prepared, but I would say I would try my best,” she said.

Magawu also raised concerns about the support she received at school, saying she had often been left to study by herself.

“It was on your own, it was like your own college, you had to study on your own, no teachers were coming into class,” she said.

She said there had been no extra classes, although some teachers shared links to online lessons.

Magawu hopes to study chemical engineering and has already applied to university. If she does not secure a place, she plans to attend college before looking for work related to her chosen career.

Murendeni Luvhimbi of Dinwiddie High School in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, told Inside Education she was experiencing both fear and hope at the same time.

During school holidays and on Saturdays when she does not attend school, she wakes at 4am to study, taking 30-minute breaks between sessions.

She identified Life Sciences as a subject in which she still needs additional help and has been using YouTube videos to understand difficult topics.

Luvhimbi said her teachers and family had supported her preparations.

She has applied to several universities and hopes to study logistics and supply chain management at the University of Johannesburg.

Her advice to fellow matriculants is simple: “I’d just say study hard and make yourself proud as well.”

For Lebogang Nxobile Hlongwane of Parklands High School in Alberton North in Ekurhuleni, discipline and consistency have been central to her studies.

“My preparations for the final exams are going quite well. I think it’s more about a person having discipline, self-control and continuing focusing and keeping dedication towards the end goal,” she said.

However, Hlongwane said balancing her subjects had become difficult after her Accounting marks dropped while she concentrated on science subjects.

She enrolled in a school camp in Pretoria to improve her performance and hopes to achieve at least five distinctions.

Hlongwane has applied for courses including medicine, medical science, accounting science, electrical engineering and nautical science.

She also expressed concern about life after matric, particularly the possibility of unemployment if she does not secure a place at university.

“I do not imagine the state of staying at home next year. It’s quite terrifying,” she said.

Hlongwane raised concerns that learners who were not among the top achievers sometimes received less attention from teachers.

Education support specialist Scelo Simelane, co-founder of Mathematics Solved, said personalised academic support could help learners identify their individual needs and improve their performance.

She said learners also needed better information about subject choices, university admission requirements and the qualifications necessary for different careers.

“People don’t know what to work towards because they don’t have information,” Simelane said.

She said career guidance should begin before matric, with learners understanding from Grade 9 how their subject choices could affect their Grade 10 studies and future university applications.

Simelane also encouraged pupils to consider careers in Science, technology and related fields, saying better exposure could help them identify opportunities they might otherwise overlook.

The need for career guidance was also highlighted at the Educonnect Media Future Economy and Career Expo 2026, held at the University of Johannesburg Business School.

The expo brought together Grade 11 and 12 learners, parents, educators, universities, TVET colleges and industry representatives to discuss study options, emerging careers and applications.

Ncamisile Zondi of Morris Isaacson High School, Soweto, wants to study International Relations.

She said young people had a role to play in transforming South Africa.

“We as the youth have the power to actually change and bring about change in the country,” Zondi said.

Xolela Lucas Nhlakanipho Mphati of Masithwalisane Secondary School in Vosloorus plans to study law. He is inspired by his mother, who is an attorney.

He said growing up around his mother’s work helped him develop an interest in the profession, although he remains concerned about whether his matric results will meet university requirements.

Mlondi Gwala, a Grade 11 learner at South Hills Combined School in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, hopes to study medicine and become a surgeon.

He said his family wants him to find a job and support them rather than pursue tertiary education, but he remains determined to continue studying.

“I hope to secure a bursary or scholarship,” he said.

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Five suspects have been arrested after a fire destroyed a block of classrooms designated for matric exams at Tiragalo Secondary School in Kgakala Township, near Leeudoringstad, in the North West.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of Friday, 9 October, just four days before the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams are scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The fire destroyed a block housing a library, computer storeroom, textbook storeroom and three classrooms designated as an examination centre for Grade 12 learners.

This fire follows a series of similar incidents at North West schools this year.

In August, fires damaged Matlhare Mokautu Secondary School in Monakato, where a school hall sustained damage estimated at more than R5 million, and Sewagodimo Technical School in Pella Village, where five workshops were destroyed.

Days later, on 29 August, a mobile classroom was set alight at Phakisang Primary School in Ottoshoop, prompting the education department to consider reviving its Adopt-a-Cop programme to strengthen school security. Earlier, in April, a classroom was destroyed by fire at FM Ramaboa Technical School in Itsoseng, near Lichtenburg.

North West Education spokesperson Mercy Mokgatle told Inside Education that the suspects in the Tiragalo fire were allegedly former pupils who had “dropped out” of the school.

“Their names and identities can’t be revealed until they’ve made their first appearance in court,” Mokgatle said.

Although the education department reported five arrests on Sunday, a South African Police Service (SAPS) statement issued on Saturday confirmed four suspects, aged between 21 and 29, had been arrested.

Police said the arrests followed an investigation into the fire and a burglary discovered in a separate school block that had not been damaged by the blaze.

“Through the activation of the Tactical Response Team (TRT), drone capability, Crime Intelligence, and the Community Policing Forum (CPF), suspects allegedly involved in the burglary were identified,” SAPS said.

“During follow-up operations, some of the stolen school property, including toiletries, was recovered in the possession of the suspects.”

Police said further arrests were expected, including those of individuals suspected of purchasing property stolen during the burglary.

The suspects confirmed were expected to appear before the Leeudoringstad Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing charges of business burglary and arson.

North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Peter Adams commended the Tactical Response Team, Crime Intelligence and the Community Policing Forum for their swift breakthrough.

“He further thanked the community for its assistance and condemned the criminal acts in the strongest terms, stating that schools are pillars of the community, and acts of burglary and arson undermine the future of our children and will not be tolerated,” SAPS said.

According to the education department, the incident came to light when the school principal received a call from staff members informing her that the school was on fire.

Police and emergency fire services had already been called to the scene.

The department said the destroyed block contained valuable teaching and learning resources, including textbooks ordered for 2027, 24 computers, a projector, a microwave oven, a kettle, six new doors, a table tennis board, athletics equipment, toilet paper, stationery and 80 boxes of Typek paper.

“Grade 12 learners have lost three classrooms that were intended to serve as their examination centre, as well as many other valuable items,” Acting North West MEC for Education Kenetswe Mosenogi said.

“This is totally unacceptable. We cannot tolerate the theft and destruction of learners’ property.”

“I want those who are behind this incident to face the full might of the law and receive lengthy sentences,” she said.

“This will serve as a deterrent to others and send a clear message that school property must be protected and that acts of criminality against our schools will not be tolerated.”

The department said arrangements were underway to secure alternative venues for the affected Grade 12 learners ahead of the exams.

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