By Johnathan Paoli
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has reiterated her department’s commitment to early child development (ECD), literacy improvement, infrastructure development and inclusive learning to help address the country’s education crisis.
Gwarube tabled a R35 billion budget under the theme “Builders vs Breakers: Shaping South Africa’s Future Through Education”. It was met with strong support and fierce opposition across party lines.
“This budget is for the builders — those who understand that lasting change is not forged in the headlines, but in classrooms and communities where our children learn, dream and grow. Therefore, I say this to the breakers: our children deserve better. If you cannot build, at least do not stand in the way of those who do,” Gwarube said.
The minister outlined five key priorities: expanding access to quality ECD, strengthening foundational literacy, promoting inclusive education, advancing teacher development, and improving school infrastructure and safety.
“Support this budget not out of party loyalty, but in the service of the children whose futures depend on it,” she urged MPs.
Gwarube warned that 8 out of 10 children still could not read for meaning by Grade 4, declaring foundational learning the centrepiece of the department’s strategy.
The ECD Conditional Grant rises to R1.7 billion, with R230 million allocated to nutrition and R162 million to infrastructure.
Over 10,000 centres are set for registration this year, with plans to develop a new national catalogue of learning materials by 2027.
The Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme will fund over 9000 student teachers, and R1.8 billion will be spent on training, mentoring and leadership development.
African National Congress MP Joy Maimela welcomed the budget, citing the Freedom Charter’s call to open “the doors of learning and culture”.
She praised the transfer of ECD to the department and affirmed support for the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, particularly its focus on multilingualism and inclusive admissions.
“This budget secures our children’s future,” she said.
Democratic Alliance MP Delmaine Christians described the budget as a shift “from slogans to service”.
Christians credited the minister with eradicating 97% of pit latrines and reviving the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) after a botched R9.8 billion tender.
She welcomed oversight mechanisms and financial recovery plans.
“We must protect this budget from the ghosts of corruption.”
The Patriotic Alliance’s Jasmine Petersen urged for the retention of 2400 Western Cape contract teachers.
“These aren’t just numbers, they are mentors and anchors in communities,” she said, calling for infrastructure grants that were not spent to be redirected to staff retention.
Economic Freedom Fighters MP Mandla Shikwambana rejected the budget as “austerity dressed in progress”.
He lambasted the department’s celebration of matric results while half a million learners drop out annually.
“This budget entrenches inequality,” he said, citing schools in Limpopo that still lacked flushing toilets after 50 years.
uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s Pinky Mngadi called the budget a “betrayal”, revealing that over 440 Limpopo schools remained closed and R620 million in infrastructure funds went unspent.
She dismissed the talk of digital transformation as “elitist”, warning that learners were still sitting under trees.
ActionSA’s Lerato Ngobeni issued a conditional endorsement, citing her nephew’s struggles in an Alexandra school as evidence of a broken system.
“Per-learner spending has dropped. Classrooms leak. Pit latrines persist. This is not a blank cheque,” she said.
Inkatha Freedom Party MP Siphosethu Ngcobo praised the expanded ECD targets, but warned that urban-rural divides remained stark.
He raised concerns over governance failures in KwaZulu-Natal and urged improved support for teachers.
Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane called for the scrapping of the 30% pass threshold, particularly in STEM subjects.
“We are preparing youth for unemployability,” he warned.
Maimane welcomed ECD investment, but said funding still lagged behind policy ambitions.
The African Transformation Movement’s Vuyolwethu Zungula condemned the budget for ignoring African spiritual practices and history.
He called for curriculum transformation, municipal cooperatives to supply uniforms and improved scholar transport.
African Christian Democratic Party MP Wayne Thring criticised shrinking per-learner budgets and overcrowded classrooms.
He opposed BELA for criminalising poor parents over absenteeism, and emphasised parental rights, entrepreneurship and faith-based schooling.
Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana focused on school safety, raising alarm about sexual violence and gambling among learners.
He praised a new agreement between the police and the Basic Education Department, but warned “plans without action mean nothing”.
Gana also urged the department to take the implementation of BELA seriously.
In her reply, Gwarube defended the Act’s protections for religious freedom and urged schools to update discriminatory conduct codes.
She promised transparency, welcomed oversight, and pledged to answer “difficult questions” in Parliament.
“We must rise above political noise; 13.5 million children depend on the choices we make in this House,” she concluded.
INSIDE EDUCATION
