By Johnathan Paoli

Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has extended the deadline for nominations of chairpersons to the boards of the country’s 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

The new deadline of 3 July 2025 has been confirmed in a Government Gazette notice.

The deadline was meant to be 12 June.

This follows a turbulent few weeks in which the minister withdrew a list of previously appointed SETA board chairpersons after intense public and parliamentary backlash.

Critics, including members of the Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, decried the list as politically motivated, citing the inclusion of high-profile ANC figures and their associates.

Among the withdrawn appointees were Buyambo Mantashe, son of ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, and former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

Their appointments had triggered accusations of cadre deployment and led to confrontations in Parliament, including the dramatic ejection of EFF MP Sihle Lonzi for demanding answers.

In response to mounting criticism, Nkabane scrapped the appointments and pledged to restart the process transparently and inclusively.

The government notice outlines stringent nomination requirements. Nominees must possess at least an NQF level 8 qualification and demonstrate sector-specific expertise, leadership capability, and an understanding of the national skills development system.

Preference will be given to candidates who support demographic representativity in line with national policy, particularly women, youth, persons with disabilities, and individuals from previously disadvantaged groups.

The appointed chairpersons will serve a five-year term from their date of appointment until 31 March 2030.

Stakeholders submitting nominations must include a comprehensive dossier: a motivating letter, the nominee’s signed acceptance, certified ID and qualifications, a CV and a declaration of interest.

Importantly, individuals who were nominated under the initial call earlier this year may be renominated if they remain interested in being considered.

The extended deadline follows persistent parliamentary scrutiny.

Speaking to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Nkabane previously defended the original appointment process as “legally sound and beyond reproach”.

She noted that the previous list was selected by an independent panel and included several candidates with PhDs and master’s degrees.

However, she admitted that public outcry over perceived political interference necessitated a reset.

Nkabane told MPs that the decision to withdraw the appointments was not because of any flaws in the process, but because the public felt the list lacked impartiality.

Despite her defence, MPs from across the political spectrum challenged the minister’s claims, asking how a process she insisted was flawless could require such drastic reversal.

The final list of new SETA chairpersons is expected to be presented in the coming months, following thorough vetting and consultation.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) says the KwaZulu-Natal education department officially “collapsed”, citing systemic failures in funding, administration and basic service delivery that have left schools in disarray and learners vulnerable.

Sadtu KZN’s secretariat painted a grim picture of an education system in free-fall.

“Despite engagements and repeated commitments from the department, no tangible progress has been made. The level of inaction is at its highest. It is for these reasons that Sadtu has declared the KwaZulu-Natal department of education as having collapsed,” the union said on Monday.

Provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said that even after continuous dialogue including formal bilateral meetings, pickets and direct appeals, the department has failed to address critical issues affecting both learners and education workers.

Sadtu highlighted a long list of grievances, including the non-payment of school allocations, failure to appoint substitute teachers, unpaid acting allowances for office-based staff and the collapse of support structures that enable effective teaching and learning.

Caluza also warned of deteriorating safety conditions, citing recent incidents where teachers were hijacked at gunpoint on school premises.

A particularly damaging concern is the department’s violation of national norms and standards.

For instance, while Quintile 1–3 schools are entitled to R1602 per learner annually, KZN only allocates R955, a shortfall of R647 per learner.

In some cases, schools have received no funding at all for the current term, with allocations withheld or paid in irregular tranches.

“This is not only a violation of the South African Schools Act, but a blatant disregard for the Constitution. Section 29 of the Constitution guarantees every child the right to basic education. The department is not only in contempt of this provision, but also undermining the rights and futures of millions,” Caluza said in a statement.

Sadtu also condemned what it called a “silent retrenchment” through the freezing of posts for clerks, assistants and security staff.

“Schools are being left exposed, teachers are in danger, and administrative support is virtually non-existent.”

As part of its response, the union’s provincial secretariat has launched a work-to-rule campaign.

Members will limit their duties to the standard seven-hour teaching day, refuse to attend departmental meetings or workshops and boycott making submissions until outstanding funds are paid.

Principals, many of whom have been using their own money to keep schools afloat, have been instructed not to engage in any further unfunded mandates.

Despite the department’s continued inaction, Sadtu praised the commitment of its members for ensuring improved matric results year after year.

“Their sacrifices have kept the system from total collapse. But that goodwill has been stretched too far,” said the union.

This declaration of collapse comes at a time when the department is already under scrutiny.

On the same day Sadtu released its statement, education MEC Sipho Hlomuka conducted oversight visits in the Umzinyathi District to assess school functionality following social media outcry over learner safety.

The MEC acknowledged concerns about the safety of learners, especially those attending Mowbray Primary School, and pledged to collaborate with municipalities and the transport department to address infrastructural gaps.

He also acknowledged parental preferences for Mowbray over other nearby schools, attributing them to religious considerations.

However, critics argue that such site visits are mere optics, especially when set against the growing crisis.

Hlomuka’s call for patience stands in stark contrast to the desperation felt by schools and educators across the province.

The crisis deepened further with disruptions to the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), as service providers warned they would not deliver food to schools due to non-payment.

According to the NSNP Service Providers Association, many contractors have not been paid for April or earlier months, putting over a million learners at risk of going without meals.

Association spokesperson Thabang Mncwabe condemned the department’s failure to meet its legal obligation under the Public Finance Management Act, which mandates payment within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice.

“This not only violates the rights of service providers but gravely undermines the health, dignity, and education of learners,” Mncwabe said.

The department attributed the payment delays to technical issues linked to the new Standard Charts of Accounts Version 6, which it claims inadvertently excluded certain providers.

A special payment run is now scheduled for 3 June, with payments expected by 6 June.

While Hlomuka appealed for understanding and urged principals to negotiate interim arrangements with service providers, many fear the damage has already been done.

“This is Youth Month, and instead of celebrating the promise of education, learners face hunger and uncertainty,” said Mncwabe.

As stakeholders demand urgent intervention from the Basic Education Department, the situation in KwaZulu-Natal is fast heading to a breakdown in provincial education governance.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Alicia Mmashakana

Police are investigating the sexual assault of a Grade 2 girl allegedly by a staff member at Laerskool Dalmondeor in Johannesburg.

Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said on Monday that the general assistant, who is in police custody, would precautionarily be removed as a general assistant at the school.

According to information at the department’s disposal, the child was sexually assaulted in one of the school’s cloakrooms on the 21 May. Her mother opened a case at the Mondeor police station on the same day.

The assault was unknown to the school until last week Tuesday when the police acted on the complaint and arrested the staff member.

Chiloane said the department took allegations of this nature seriously, and the safety, protection and psychological well-being of all learners remained a priority.

 “It is heartbreaking that a child could be subjected to such trauma in a place meant to nurture and protect them. We condemn this alleged act in the strongest terms and call for the law to take its full course,” he said.

“This incident takes place during Child Protection Week, a period dedicated to raising awareness about the rights, safety, and dignity of children. It is a painful reminder of the urgent need to strengthen protective measures in all learning environments and ensure that no child is ever subjected to harm while under our care.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

The Real Madrid Foundation has launched its third youth Educational Football Programme in South Africa, teaming up with Generation Schools to empower young minds and bodies. 

The programme, which began earlier this year, is already making waves in the Western Cape and Johannesburg, with 150 young footballers benefiting from quality coaching, mentorship and personal development.

“The project was launched at the beginning of the year and caters for 100 young people at the centres in Sunningdale and Imhoff in the Western Cape. There are a further 50 participants in the centre based in Johannesburg,” the foundation said. 

The foundation intends to take in 300 children by the end of the year. 

“In the context of high youth unemployment in South Africa and significant gaps in access to quality education, programmes like this are essential,” said Generation Schools executive director Jevron Epstein.

To date, the foundation said that Generation Schools has been awarded seven full scholarships, including six with accommodation, and 20 semi-scholarships to talented young athletes from low-income communities in Cape Town.

“These scholarships provide recipients with access to independent education, board and active participation in the programme, offering a stable and nurturing environment in which students can excel academically, socially and physically.”

The foundation said that every Friday, the team visited vulnerable areas like Masiphumelele near Imhoff and provided coaching sessions for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The recent Johannesburg launch at Generation Schools Taroko in Modderfontein drew over 900 families, as well the Spanish Ambassador to South Africa, José Manuel Pascual, and Andrés Muntaner, the director of campus and clinics at the Real Madrid Foundation. 

Epstein emphasised the programme’s significance, saying: “We use football as a tool to create real opportunities for education and personal growth, assisting young people in developing their futures in sport, in the classroom and in their communities.”

With plans to enroll over 300 children by the end of the year, the programme is poised to make a lasting impact on South African youth. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

South Africa marks a milestone in its battle against youth unemployment as over 200,000 young people begin work at more than 20,000 schools nationwide under Phase V of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI).

It is the country’s largest youth employment programme to date.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his weekly letter on Monday, celebrated this effort as a beacon of hope in addressing the country’s problem of mass youth unemployment.

He described the day as a “first day of school” for these young adults, not as learners, but as contributors to the nation’s education system.

“These young people will leave the school environment having shown up, contributed and made a difference. They will have worked in high-pressure environments with limited resources and will understand deadlines and responsibility. These young people are showing us what they are capable of. It is up to all of us in society to give them the opportunities they need to thrive,” Ramaphosa said.

Launched as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus, this phase represents a renewed commitment to uplifting communities and supporting basic education through job creation.

Following a one-year pause, the initiative has returned with vigour, targeting unemployed youth aged 18–34 and offering them meaningful roles in schools as education and general assistants.

The programme is implemented by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in collaboration with provincial education departments and the Employment and Labour Department. It receives funding through the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Labour Activation Programme and National Treasury.

The first four phases created over 1.1 million job opportunities between 2020 and 2023.

With over 204,000 job opportunities created across all nine provinces, the BEEI not only addresses youth unemployment but strengthens the education sector by easing the administrative and academic burden on teachers.

Participants will receive monthly stipends of R4000 plus a R30 data allowance for the six-month contract, which ends in November 2025.

The programme focuses on equipping participants with both soft and technical skills relevant to the world of work. These include time and task management, communication, ICT, administration, teamwork and professionalism.

Participants also receive structured training and orientation to prepare them for inclusive education environments, particularly in supporting learners with disabilities.

Youth employed under BEEI Phase V are placed into two main categories.

Education assistants, which include curriculum assistants, will support classroom activities and help teachers prepare lessons, especially in maths, science and technology.

“Reading champions” will promote literacy and reading culture, ICT or “e-Cadres” will facilitate the integration of digital tools in teaching, lab and workshop assistants to help with technical subjects, and care and support assistants will provide basic psychosocial support to vulnerable learners.

Secondly, general school assistants, including handypersons, will carry out essential maintenance such as repairs and gardening, and sports and enrichment assistants will help with arts, culture and physical education programmes to energise school communities.

All roles are designed to offer valuable work experience while directly enhancing learning environments for pupils.

The initiative is guided by principles of equity and local inclusion, with schools encouraged to hire youth from their immediate communities to reduce transport costs and increase local participation.

Special attention was given to young people with disabilities and had to be a gender balance in the recruitment.

The popularity of the initiative remains overwhelming.

By 23 April, more than 1.1 million applications were submitted through the SAYouth.mobi platform.

Applicants could apply for multiple roles, resulting in approximately 25 applications per post on average.

Shortlisting and interviews took place between 19 and 31 May, with candidates who were not contacted by 1 June advised to consider their applications unsuccessful.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng lead with the highest number of placements, receiving 45,658 and 36,186 posts respectively.

Eastern Cape and Limpopo followed with 28,709 and 27,366 each.

Western Cape was allocated 19,329 posts, Mpumalanga 17,495, North West 13,687, and Free State 11,408.

The Northern Cape has the smallest allocation with just under 5000 posts.

The department is working with the Industrial Development Corporation to manage stipends and coordinate exit pathways that include further education, employment placement and entrepreneurship.

Participants will be supported through targeted training, mentorship and partnerships with NGOs and skills development organisations.

While this milestone is a cause for celebration, Ramaphosa acknowledged that much work remains and that youth unemployment in South Africa was a structural crisis.

According to Stats SA, the unemployment rate between people aged between 15 to 34 is 45.5%.

Initiatives like BEEI are part of a broader response to address systemic inequalities and build a more inclusive economy.

The department has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all participants throughout their contract and beyond, vowing to ensure that these job opportunities translate into long-term benefits for South Africa’s youth and for its education system as a whole.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed that it is actively working with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to terminate its current head office lease agreement, which costs R2.5 million per month.

This decision comes after Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education scrutinised NSFAS’ choice to spend such a substantial amount on rent.

In a statement, NSFAS said it supported the SIU’s legal action to cancel the lease and would abide by any court ruling.

It said the move formed part of its broader effort to overhaul its operations amid mounting scrutiny over governance and expenditure.

“The scheme supports the SIU’s approach to cancel the lease and will comply with any court decision on the matter,” the statement read.

Although an application to set aside the lease was due by 30 April, the submission was delayed due to “judicial availability”, according to NSFAS. However, it was working closely with the SIU to expedite the process.

The lease, which includes R18.6 million in parking bay costs over five years, was signed before the appointment of the current board. 

NSFAS said that the current leadership was committed to a zero-tolerance policy towards wastage, fraud and corruption, and that it was implementing a turnaround strategy centered on transparency and fiscal discipline.

It was also preparing for a possible immediate exit from its current offices, with contingency plans being developed to minimise disruptions.

The relocation is part of NSFAS’s regionalisation strategy aimed at boosting operational efficiency and improving service delivery.

The lease agreement for NSFAS’s Cape Town head office came under scrutiny when reports emerged that it was paying nearly R2 million per month for office space, a significant increase from the R603,000 monthly rent at its previous premises in Wynberg. 

Concerns were raised about the procurement process and the necessity of such an expensive lease, especially given that many offices in the new building reportedly remained unused.

In response to these concerns, Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane agreed that the scheme could not spend that much on rent.

“The plan is to decentralise. We are going to establish regional offices in three provinces, which are the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. We will see how best we can come up with satellite offices in other provinces,” Nkabane said at the time.

The SIU’s involvement stems from a broader investigation into NSFAS’s financial management.

The investigations have revealed systemic issues within the scheme, including inadequate financial controls and a lack of proper reconciliation processes leading to overpayments and underpayments to institutions and students.

Despite the controversy, it reiterated its commitment to good governance and responsible management.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Andrew Forbes and Patience Mthunzi-Kufa

Light is all around us, essential for one of our primary senses (sight) as well as life on Earth itself. It underpins many technologies that affect our daily lives, including energy harvesting with solar cells, light-emitting-diode (LED) displays and telecommunications through fibre optic networks.

The smartphone is a great example of the power of light. Inside the box, its electronic functionality works because of quantum mechanics. The front screen is an entirely photonic device: liquid crystals controlling light. The back too: white light-emitting diodes for a flash, and lenses to capture images.

We use the word photonics, and sometimes optics, to capture the harnessing of light for new applications and technologies. Their importance in modern life is celebrated every year on 16 May with the International Day of Light.

Scientists on the African continent, despite the resource constraints they work under, have made notable contributions to photonics research. Some of these have been captured in a recent special issue of the journal Applied Optics. Along with colleagues in this field from Morocco and Senegal, we introduced this collection of papers, which aims to celebrate excellence and show the impact of studies that address continental issues.

A spotlight on photonics in Africa

Africa’s history in formal optics stems back thousands of years, with references to lens design already recorded in ancient Egyptian writings.

In more recent times, Africa has contributed to two Nobel prizes based on optics. Ahmed Zewail (Egyptian born) watched the ultrafast processes in chemistry with lasers (1999, Nobel Prize for Chemistry) and Serge Harouche (Moroccan born) studied the behaviour of individual particles of light, photons (2012, Nobel Prize for Physics).

Unfortunately, the African optics story is one of pockets of excellence. The highlights are as good as anywhere else, but there are too few of them to put the continent on the global optics map. According to a 2020 calculation done for me by the Optical Society of America, based on their journals, Africa contributes less than 1% to worldwide journal publications with optics or photonics as a theme.

Yet there are great opportunities for meeting continental challenges using optics. Examples of areas where Africans can innovate are:

bridging the digital divide with modern communications infrastructure

optical imaging and spectroscopy for improvements in agriculture and monitoring climate changes

harnessing the sun with optical materials for clean energy

bio-photonics to solve health issues

quantum technologies for novel forms of communicating, sensing, imaging and computing.

The papers in the special journal issue touch on a diversity of continent-relevant topics.

One is on using optics to communicate across free-space (air) even in bad weather conditions. This light-based solution was tested using weather data from two African cities, Alexandria in Egypt and Setif in Algeria.

Another paper is about tiny quantum sources of quantum entanglement for sensing. The authors used diamond, a gem found in South Africa and more commonly associated with jewellery. Diamond has many flaws, one of which can produce single photons as an output when excited. The single photon output was split into two paths, as if the particle went both left and right at the same time. This is the quirky notion of entanglement, in this case, created with diamonds. If an object is placed in any one path, the entanglement can detect it. Strangely, sometimes the photons take the left-path but the object is in the right-path, yet still it can be detected.

One contributor proposes a cost-effective method to detect and classify harmful bacteria in water.

New approaches in spectroscopy (studying colour) for detecting cell health; biosensors to monitor salt and glucose levels in blood; and optical tools for food security all play their part in optical applications on the continent.

Another area of African optics research that has important applications is the use of optical fibres for sensing the quality of soil and its structural integrity. Optical fibres are usually associated with communication, but a modern trend is to use the existing optical fibre already laid to sense for small changes in the environment, for instance, as early warning systems for earthquakes. The research shows that conventional fibre can also be used to tell if soil is degrading, either from lack of moisture or some physical shift in structure (weakness or movement). It is an immediately useful tool for agriculture, building on many decades of research.

The diverse range of topics in the collection shows how creative researchers on the continent are in using limited resources for maximum impact. The high orientation towards applications is probably also a sign that African governments want their scientists to work on solutions to real problems rather than purely academic questions. A case in point is South Africa, which has a funded national strategy (SA QuTI) to turn quantum science into quantum technology and train the workforce for a new economy.

Towards a brighter future

For young science students wishing to enter the field, the opportunities are endless. While photonics has no discipline boundaries, most students enter through the fields of physics, engineering, chemistry or the life sciences. Its power lies in the combination of skills, blending theoretical, computational and experimental, that are brought to bear on problems. At a typical photonics conference there are likely to be many more industry participants than academics. That’s a testament to its universal impact in new technologies, and the employment opportunities for students.

The last century was based on electronics and controlling electrons. This century will be dominated by photonics, controlling photons.

Andrew Forbes is a Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and Patience Mthunzi-Kufa is a Distinguished Professor at the University of South Africa.

INSIDE POLITICS

By Johnathan Paoli

Hundreds of children marched through the streets of Johannesburg to mark International Children’s Day, demanding safer communities and a more responsive justice system.

The march, organised by the Gauteng Social Development Department in partnership with the Teddy Bear Foundation, Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital and Childline South Africa, culminated in a memorandum handover at the Constitutional Court.

“Instead of celebrating today, we are calling for urgent intervention. Many children live in abusive environments and face secondary trauma through repeated court postponements and lack of protection mechanisms,” social development MEC Faith Mazibuko said.

Held under the theme “Social Injustice Against Children Must Stop!!! Let us Make Gauteng Safe for Our Children”, the event formed part of South Africa’s broader Child Protection Week campaign.

Children gathered at Pieter Roos Park in Parktown before proceeding to the Constitutional Court to voice their concerns directly to Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and Gauteng social development MEC Faith Mazibuko.

The memorandum highlighted the long delays in justice for abused children, unsafe living conditions, and insufficient mental health support for young survivors.

Mazibuko emphasised the need for coordinated efforts between police, forensic labs and the judiciary to fast-track justice for children.

She urged Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to expedite DNA testing, support child-friendly courtrooms and release the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) to prevent pedophiles from working in childcare facilities.

“Without access to the register, we risk hiring predators unknowingly in centres for young childcare and schools,” she said.

Minister Kubayi, meanwhile, addressing a parallel Child Protection Week event in Mabopane, reaffirmed her department’s commitment to child safety.

“We are reviewing laws to enable public access to the NRSO as a deterrent to would-be offenders. No convicted offender should be near a child again,” she said.

The Justice and Constitutional Development Department held a session with Sunday School children at the Zion Christian Church branch, teaching them about their rights and encouraging them to report abuse.

The 2025 Child Protection Week is commemorated under the national theme: “Working Together to End Violence Against Children”.

The department is running ongoing education programmes targeting learners, teachers and guardians to raise awareness of children’s rights and responsibilities.

The issue of child protection sparked a spectrum of political and civil responses.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) released a strong statement urging decisive action to end violence against children.

Citing Statistics South Africa, the EFF revealed that children under 15 make up nearly half of shelter populations and that every five hours a child goes missing in South Africa.

“In the past six years alone, over 100,000 children have been raped. No child must live or die in fear,” the party maintained.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng social development MEC Refiloe Nt’sekhe expressed cautious support for the march.

While she welcomed general awareness efforts, she raised ethical concerns about exposing child victims to the media.

“If children are just marching to raise awareness without being named or portrayed as victims, I support it,” she said. “But parading individual victims infringes on their rights and dignity.”

Nt’sekhe previously criticised the Social Development Department for funding failures.

She revealed that funding for NPOs providing essential services to vulnerable children had sharply declined, from 2,856 funded in 2021/22 to just 1,328 in 2024/25.

She accused the department of returning over R650 million to the Treasury over two years, despite growing need.

“The department returned R554 million in 2023/24, and another R102 million is expected to be returned this year. This, while shelters and feeding schemes face closure,” Nt’sekhe said.

She condemned the department’s “double standards,” revealing that 171 Gauteng NPOs were defunded for municipal non-compliance, yet state-run facilities operating without the same requirements continued to receive support.

“We don’t oppose compliance, but if NPOs must meet strict standards, so should state facilities,” she said.

Despite the political back-and-forth, the children’s message was simple and clear: they want to live in a safer, more just country.

Organisers stressed the importance of preserving children’s privacy, with media being strictly prohibited from photographing or distributing images of children’s faces, in line with child protection protocols.

The march ended with hope and urgency.

“Children have spoken, now it’s our turn to act, not tomorrow, but today,” Mazibuko said.

INSIDE POLITICS

By Johnathan Paoli

Centennial Schools CEO and founder Shaun Fuchs has advocated for reimagining South Africa’s education system as a catalyst for unity rather than division.

For Fuchs, creating inclusive classrooms is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic necessity in a society still grappling with the legacy of apartheid and persistent systemic inequalities.

“We need to re-imagine schools as inclusive environments where all learners feel seen, respected and empowered. Inclusion is not a ‘nice to have’, it is essential for building a better South Africa,” Fuchs says.

South Africa’s classrooms, much like the country itself, are vibrant reflections of its social fabric, rich with different cultures, languages, and histories.

This diversity, though a significant national strength, also demands a deliberate effort to foster inclusion, equality and respect in every learning environment.

The Constitution recognises 12 official languages and over 50 cultural groups, making the country one of the most diverse nations in the world.

Yet, despite the legal and symbolic embrace of diversity, many school environments still struggle to reflect this reality in meaningful ways.

Fuchs argues that diversity in education should not be reduced to symbolic gestures or annual observances.

“Inclusion should be embedded in the curriculum, evident in school leadership and lived out in the school’s daily culture,” he says.

This view is supported by international research.

Studies from Unesco and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have shown that inclusive education enhances academic performance, improves emotional wellbeing and fosters social cohesion.

When students see their languages, cultures and lived experiences reflected in the classroom, they are more likely to feel a sense of belonging—an essential ingredient for learning.

“It’s not just about who is in the classroom. It’s about who is being seen and heard,” Fuchs says.

He warns against treating diversity as mere representation in textbooks or posters.

“True inclusion requires creating safe spaces where difficult conversations can happen. It means addressing stereotypes, fostering mutual understanding and building emotional intelligence,” he explains.

In practice, this involves equipping students with the tools to challenge bias, question assumptions and engage critically with social issues.

“Inclusion does not mean pretending that differences don’t exist, it means embracing those differences and learning from them,” the CEO maintains.

To achieve this, Fuchs claims schools must also re-evaluate how they teach.

South Africa’s traditional schooling model has remained largely unchanged since before 1994, often failing to prepare students for the complexities of the modern world.

Fuchs believes that education must be more participatory, empowering learners to shape their educational experiences as active stakeholders.

From incorporating inclusive language in learning materials to inviting diverse guest speakers and fostering open cultural dialogue, the CEO says his schools make deliberate efforts to normalise diversity in everyday learning.

“We are not preparing students to succeed in a vacuum. We are preparing them to thrive in workplaces, communities and a world where empathy, respect and collaboration matter more than ever,” Fuchs said.

This approach not only supports academic success but also cultivates social responsibility and emotional intelligence among learners.

Ultimately, inclusion in education is deeply tied to identity, according to the CEO.

He highlights the importance of helping young people understand who they are and equipping them to respect and engage with others whose identities may differ from their own.

Fuchs believes that when schools embrace this mission, they help build not only stronger students but a more unified and compassionate nation.

“The real goal of education is not just to pass exams, but to build the kind of society that grows from its cultural richness rather than being divided by it,” he said.

Fuchs points out that in a country still on its path toward healing and equity, inclusive education is not just about the classroom, but about the future of South Africa itself.

INSIDE EDUCATION