South Africa Focuses On Improving Education Quality – Basic Education Minister Gwarube

South Africa has made progress in expanding access to education, but Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube emphasized that the government must now focus on improving the quality of education.

Speaking in Johannesburg on Monday during the announcement of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results, Gwarube noted that many students move through the education system without mastering essential skills, especially in literacy and numeracy, which are crucial for success in subjects like Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

"These deficits accumulate over time, limiting learners' abilities to succeed in higher grades and in these gateway subjects and diminishing their prospects of accessing further education and employment opportunities," he said, SA News reported.

She added, "This trend manifests itself in the decrease in enrolments in subjects such as Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Accounting and Economics, which are all subjects that are critical for a nation's ability to advance in science, innovation and economic development."

In 2025, the department will urgently review the Post Provisioning Norms to support the goal of universal access to quality Grade R education and improve reading and math skills in the foundation phase.

This will allow provincial education departments and public schools to buy textbooks, learning materials, and equipment from a list that is educationally sound, linguistically inclusive, and approved by experts to meet national curriculum standards.

The minister emphasized the importance of protecting teaching time to improve education outcomes, ensuring that teachers are in school and teaching for the full 230 days each year to cover the curriculum properly.

Gwarube also announced that 615,429 learners passed the National Senior Certificate (NSC), the highest number in the country's history. The national pass rate for the 2024 NSC increased from 82.9% in 2023 to 87.3%.

She further said that the provinces, districts, and schools will be required to develop plans to address the decline in enrollment in key subjects. The department's interventions will include expanding access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and enhancing teaching in the Foundation Phase.

The minister believes this approach will improve learning outcomes throughout the system, from the Foundation Phase (Grades R to 3) to the Further Education and Training Phase (Grades 10 to 12).