By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube is expected to travel to KwaZulu-Natal on Monday for urgent talks aimed at resolving the province’s worsening education funding crisis.

The minister is set to convene an all-of-government meeting with Premier Thami Ntuli, Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, Finance MEC Francois Rodgers, and senior national and provincial officials.

“The meeting will discuss the serious financial challenges besetting the province and propose a financial recovery plan for the provincial department to ensure stability and continuity in the delivery of education services in the province,” Basic Education spokesperson Terence Khala said.

The emergency meeting comes against a backdrop of deepening fiscal constraints that have left the KwaZulu-Natal education department struggling to fill critical posts, deliver resources to schools, and maintain basic operations.

Gwarube has emphasised that ensuring continuity in education services is a top national priority, noting that the sector is under immense pressure due to years of budget reductions and growing demands on the system.

The provincial department previously revealed that nearly 9,000 posts remain vacant due to budget constraints.

Appearing before the provincial legislature’s Education Portfolio Committee, officials confirmed that while more than 107,000 posts have been approved for the 2025/26 financial year, including over 90,000 educator positions and around 190 therapist posts, funding shortfalls have stalled appointments.

Chief Financial Officer Yali Joyi said the impact of budget cuts is evident in the department’s workforce and that by the end of the quarter in June, there were 98,801 filled posts against the fixed establishment, and that translated to 8,702 vacant posts.

The all-of-government meeting is expected to explore several options, including short-term financial bailouts, reprioritisation of provincial budgets, and longer-term structural reforms.

With nearly 9,000 teaching and support posts hanging in the balance, the stakes for Monday’s meeting are high, with the outcome possibly determining whether the province can begin to reverse years of financial decline or whether schools, teachers, and learners will continue to bear the brunt of austerity.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has issued a stern warning to Operation Dudula, saying that no form of intimidation, disruption, or violence will be tolerated on school premises.

This follows Operation Dudula’s ongoing campaign to block migrant children from enrolling in public schools.

The group recently announced that it wants to ensure “no foreign children” are admitted to public schools from January 2026.

On Monday, the group staged a campaign at Soweto schools and demanded that public schools prioritise South African learners over foreign nationals.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona stressed that admissions are strictly governed by the Gauteng School Admissions Regulations, which prioritise factors such as a learner’s proximity to a school, siblings already enrolled, and feeder zones.

Citizenship or immigration status, he added, does not determine admission.

“The law is very clear: schools are not immigration centres. Their responsibility is to educate children, and constitutionally, all children of school-going age must be in school,” Mabona said.

Mabona added that the department will not compromise its constitutional duty to provide access to education.

He pointed out that many South Africans are themselves undocumented and that the department works closely with the Department of Home Affairs to guide parents on documentation.

“We have a constitutional obligation to make sure that we teach all children. Now it is even more critical because Grade R is compulsory, and the law dictates that those children must be taught. Education is not conditional on nationality or paperwork,” Mabona said.

The department’s stance follows Operation Dudula’s delivery of “warning letters” to 11 schools in Soweto, including Lofentse High School for Girls in Orlando East and Noordgesig Primary School.

The organisation, now positioning itself as a political party, warned that it would take further action by January if schools do not comply with its demands.

The department has made it clear that any attempt by Operation Dudula or any group to disrupt learning will be met with swift intervention from law enforcement agencies.

“We cannot enter into their plan. But as a department, we have a responsibility to work very closely with the law enforcement agencies to make sure that there is law and order in our schools. Anything done within the confines of the law is not a problem. But if you go into our schools and do anything unlawful, then the law enforcement agencies must assist us,” Mabona said.

The department stressed that legislation does not permit any disruption of schools or interference with teaching and learning.

Schools, it said, must remain safe and accessible environments for all learners, parents, and employees.

Operation Dudula has framed its school campaign as part of a broader political mobilisation ahead of next year’s local government elections.

Its leader, Zandile Dabula, claimed that undocumented South Africans were also being neglected by state systems and that the organisation was exposing “wrongs” in school admissions.

But critics argue the campaign is a dangerous continuation of the group’s anti-migrant activism, which previously targeted public health facilities.

Just days earlier, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng laid a criminal complaint against Operation Dudula, accusing it of inciting violence after a one-year-old baby allegedly died when its mother was denied healthcare.

The department reiterated that it is committed to ensuring schools remain centres of safety, learning, and inclusivity.

Mabona pointed to its broader efforts in strengthening education infrastructure and addressing challenges such as overcrowding, mobile classrooms, and waiting lists in special needs schools.

He said the department’s immediate priority, however, is protecting learners and educators from intimidation campaigns.

“Schools must never become battlegrounds for political agendas. We will protect the right of every child to learn in a safe, peaceful environment,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has welcomed the Bana Pele Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mass Registration Drive successfully registering and approving 10 000 ECD centres, three months ahead of the original 31 December deadline.

She said this signals that the campaign is not only on track but exceeding expectations.

Gwarube, who earlier this year set an ambitious target of bringing 10 000 centres into the formal system, described the milestone as a victory for children, practitioners, and communities across South Africa.

“This success is a testament to what can be achieved when the government, the private sector, civil society, and communities join forces. But we cannot take our foot off the pedal, much work remains to ensure every child has access to quality early learning opportunities,” she said.

The drive, which was launched nationally in July, has rolled out in five provinces with great success.

Through community-based registration clinics, a nationwide radio campaign, and direct engagement with practitioners, the department has lowered barriers that historically kept many centres unregistered.

The approach has brought government services closer to communities, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas, where ECD facilities have often operated informally without oversight or funding support.

The success comes at a time when South Africa is facing a severe early learning crisis.

According to the recently released Thrive by Five Index, 80% of children tested were found not to be developmentally on track, with the vast majority struggling to grasp foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Experts warn that without intervention in the earliest years, these children face significant hurdles in school and beyond.

Gwarube has historically reiterated that addressing South Africa’s literacy and numeracy crisis requires urgent investment in early learning.

“If we want to fix the outcomes in senior primary school, we must first fix the foundations. This means ensuring children aged zero to four are enrolled in structured ECD centres where they can benefit from a curriculum, professional practitioners, and supportive learning materials,” she explained at the campaign’s launch.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana previously bolstered the initiative with a R10 billion allocation to early childhood development, reflecting the government’s recognition that strong foundations are critical to long-term educational and social outcomes.

Last week, the Western Cape leg of the registration drive doubled as a Literacy Month celebration.

Registered centres stand to benefit significantly from formalisation.

Once approved, ECD centres become eligible for departmental support, including a daily subsidy of R24 per child, as well as access to essential learning and teaching materials such as toys, colouring books, and reading resources.

These resources are intended to level the playing field for children from disadvantaged households, many of whom currently lack access to structured learning environments.

The department has introduced a tiered certification process, namely Bronze, Silver, and Gold; that allows centres to progressively improve their compliance and quality standards.

While the initial target has been met, the department is pressing ahead with the next phase of the drive.

Efforts will now intensify in the remaining four provinces, where unregistered centres remain widespread.

Gwarube confirmed that she will personally lead provincial visits to encourage practitioners to register and to engage directly with communities about the benefits of early learning.

Provincial leaders have already begun aligning with the initiative.

In the Northern Cape, Premier Zamani Saul has committed to building 10 new ECD centres annually over the next decade, while Education MEC Abraham Vosloo has acknowledged that the registration drive will help address longstanding challenges around infrastructure, practitioner training, and compliance.

Similarly, Free State Education MEC Mamiki Maboya has highlighted the campaign’s role in extending oversight, improving safety, and unlocking subsidies for low-income families.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking earlier this year at the Bana Pele ECD Leadership Summit, conceded that the government should have prioritised early childhood development decades ago.

He framed the current drive as a long-overdue correction, essential to ensuring that every South African child has the chance to “thrive by five”.

INSIDE EDUCATION