By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has called for calm and urged political leaders to resist politicising the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act following criticism over the recently gazetted draft regulations.

Gwarube reportedly defended the process, emphasising that the regulations were not designed to rewrite the Act, but to ensure its smooth implementation.

“There are still leaders in the country who are hellbent on politicising this piece of legislation – a piece of legislation that’s going to help us bring coherence in the school system and our education system,” Gwarube said.

The department echoed the minister’s sentiment, strongly rejecting allegations that the regulations stemmed from any private political agreements.

Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga told Inside Education that the minister’s approach had consistently prioritised learners’ interests above all else.

“The minister has been consistent with her position that we should all participate in the BELA processes without losing focus on the interest of the children,” Mhlanga said.

The dispute arose after Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education chairperson Joy Maimela expressed concern that the regulations could dilute the intent of the BELA Act, which seeks to make Grade R compulsory and overhaul school admission and language policies.

Maimela argued that publishing only two sets of draft regulations instead of the full package weakened coherence and risked undermining Parliament’s goal of building a more inclusive education system.

She warned that clauses referring to the “surrounding community” and introducing “feeder zones” could revive exclusionary practices Parliament intended to dismantle.

However, criticism has not been limited to Parliament.

GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron accused Gwarube of using the regulations to “intentionally weaken” the BELA Act by reintroducing wording allegedly linked to a previous bilateral agreement with trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum.

Herron warned that phrases such as “surrounding community, including language preference” could be used to defend historic exclusionary practices, particularly around Afrikaans-medium schools, undermining the Act’s intent to broaden access.

He said his party was prepared to challenge the regulations legally if they were not amended.

The BELA Act, which was signed into law last year, represents one of the most significant education reforms since 1994.

By making Grade R compulsory, it aims to strengthen early childhood education, while changes to admissions and language policies seek to reduce disparities that persist across the public school system.

Gwarube has repeatedly stated that the public comment process, open until 5 September, is central to ensuring the regulations reflect the nation’s diversity and constitutional commitments.

She urged parents, teachers, advocacy groups and learners to study the draft documents and submit their views.

Maimela, despite her criticisms, has also encouraged broad participation, pledging that the committee would exercise “robust” oversight to ensure the Act dismantles inequality rather than reinforces it.

For the department, the path forward is ensuring the debate is grounded in the needs of learners rather than in political rivalries.

With tensions high and stakeholders from across the political spectrum weighing in, the regulations are becoming a focal point for broader debates on transformation, equity and language in education.

As the deadline for public submissions approaches, the coming weeks will determine whether consensus can be built around regulations that balance the Act’s transformative goals with the practical realities of the school system.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande has urged the country’s universities to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

He warns that while South Africa is not lagging behind, it must move faster to ensure equitable access, ethical safeguards and full integration into teaching and research.

Nzimande outlined government’s vision for embedding AI in higher education and detailed a series of initiatives already underway.

“We’re not ahead of the curve, but we are not late either. From the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, our involvement in AI has been significant, especially in research. Our 2022–2032 Decadal Plan, called for by our 2019 White Paper, identifies digital skills development as a key priority for building a strong digital economy,” Nzimande said.

This follows the University of Cape Town’s recent moves to integrate AI into its academic programmes, which Nzimande said reflected broader progress in the sector.

The department has established the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, which is a network of nine universities and 12 research centres that focuses on machine learning, language technologies and other core AI fields.

Nzimande noted in a Newzroom Afrika interview that these projects were being expanded to all 26 public universities.

Partnerships with IBM, the Association of University Vice-Chancellors and the Africa Institute for Mathematical Sciences are driving digital skills training across campuses.

Nzimande highlighted the need to bring every public university on board, adding that AI offered opportunities to strengthen African languages as mediums of science and academia.

On concerns about the potential misuse of AI, Nzimande highlighted South Africa’s participation in Unesco’s global programme on AI ethics.

He stressed that AI must serve “positive human uses and social justice” warning against its weaponisation, as seen in military conflicts.

He also praised cooperation with China through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and other platforms, which aims to build AI capacities in developing countries while addressing ethical considerations.

Nzimande acknowledged disparities between historically advantaged and disadvantaged universities, warning that without targeted intervention, the AI revolution could deepen educational inequality.

“We are supporting the vice-chancellors’ efforts to assess all universities and will introduce additional measures to help historically disadvantaged institutions build capacity in AI research and digital skills,” he said.

The department plans to adapt past initiatives such as the University Capacity Development Programme to target science and technology competencies.

Private sector collaborations with IBM, Huawei and others are being leveraged to ensure equitable access to AI tools, while South Africa’s G20 presidency is being used to push for global commitments that prevent poorer nations from being left behind.

Highlighting the breadth of AI-related work, Nzimande pointed to projects in data analytics and adaptive cognitive systems, cybersecurity research, speech and language technologies, and forensic identification systems using AI to assist in identifying unclaimed bodies in mortuaries by combining DNA testing with advanced data matching.

The department is also finalising a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, informed by the National Advisory Council on Innovation, to identify priority areas for AI development and application.

Nzimande recently attended the Belt and Road Ministers of Science and Technology Conference in China, where AI featured prominently on the agenda.

At the continental level, South Africa is contributing to the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2032, which prioritises AI among its focus areas.

“Artificial intelligence is no longer a peripheral issue, it’s central to economic development, social progress, and scientific advancement. We must ensure that as we build capacity in AI, we do so inclusively, ethically, and with the goal of using technology for human development,” Nzimande said.

With AI poised to reshape education, research and the economy, Nzimande urged South Africa’s higher education sector to act decisively to integrate AI, close existing gaps and prepare the next generation for a rapidly evolving digital world.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Soroush Sabbaghan

Scroll through social media and you’ll find numerous videos such as “How to Use AI to write your essay in 5 minutes” or “How to skip the readings with ChatGPT.”

The discourse surrounding AI in education is deafening and it’s almost entirely consumed by the question: How? How do we write the perfect prompt? How should educators integrate ChatGPT into academic work or detect its use?

This obsession with methods and mechanics is a dangerous distraction. By racing to master the “how,” we have skipped the two far more critical, foundational questions: why should we use these tools in the first place, and when is it appropriate to do so?

Answering the “how” is a technical challenge. Answering the “why” and “when” is a philosophical one. Until educators and educational leaders ground their approaches in a coherent philosophical and theoretical foundation for learning, integrating AI will be aimless, driven by novelty and efficiency rather than human development.

Two frameworks provide the essential lens we need to move beyond the hype and engage with AI responsibly: “virtue epistemology,” which argues that knowledge is not merely a collection of correct facts or a well-assembled product, but the outcome of practising intellectual virtues; and a care-based approach that prioritizes relationships.

Virtue over volume

The current “how-to” culture implicitly defines the goal of learning as the production of a polished output (like a comprehensive report or a functional piece of code). From this perspective, AI is a miracle of efficiency. But is the output the point of learning?

Virtue epistemology, as championed by philosophers like Linda Zagzebski, suggests the real goal of an assignment is not just writing the essay itself — but the cultivation of curiosity, intellectual perseverance, humility and critical thinking that the process is meant to instil.

This reframes the “why” of using AI. From this perspective, the only justification for integrating AI into a learning process should be to support and sustain intellectual labour.

If a student uses AI to brainstorm counterarguments for a debate, they are practising intellectual flexibility as part of that labour. If another student uses AI to map connections between theoretical frameworks for a research paper, they are deepening conceptual understanding through guided synthesis.

When AI undermines ‘why’

However, when the “how” of AI is used to bypass the very struggle that builds virtue (by exercising intellectual labour, including analysis, deliberation and judgment), it directly undermines the “why” of the assignment. A graduate student who generates a descriptive list of pertinent research about a topic without engaging with the sources skips the valuable process of synthesis and critical engagement.

This stands in direct contrast to philosopher and educator John Dewey’s view of learning as an active, experiential process.

For Dewey, learning happens through doing, questioning and grappling with complexity, not by acquiring information passively. Assignments that reward perfection and correctness over process and growth further incentivize the use of AI as a shortcut, reducing learning to prompting and receiving rather than engaging in the intellectual labour of constructing meaning.

Care over compliance

If the “why” is about supporting human intellectual labour and fostering intellectual virtue, the “when” is about the specific, contextual and human needs of the learner.

This is where an “ethics of care” becomes indispensable. As philosopher Nel Noddings proposed, a care-based approach prioritizes relationships and the needs of the individual over rigid, universal rules. It moves away from a one-size-fits-all policy and toward discretionary judgment.

The question: “When is it appropriate to use AI?” cannot be answered with a simple rubric. For a student with a learning disability or severe anxiety, using AI to help structure their initial thoughts might be a compassionate and enabling act, allowing them to engage with the intellectual labour of the task without being paralyzed by the mechanics of writing. In this context, the “when” is when the tool removes a barrier to deeper learning.

Conversely, for a student who needs to develop foundational writing skills, relying on that same tool for the same task would be irresponsible. Deciding the “when” requires educators to know their learner, understand the learning goal and act with compassion and wisdom. It is a relational act, not a technical one.

Educators must ensure that AI supports rather than displaces the development of core capabilities.

AI as mediator

This is also where we must confront historian and philosopher Michel Foucault’s challenge to the idea of the lone, autonomous author. Foucault argued that the concept of the author functions to make discourse controllable and to have a name that can be held accountable. Our obsession with policing students’ authorship — a “how” problem focused on originality and plagiarism — is rooted in this system of control.

It rests on the convenient fiction of the unmediated creator, ignoring that all creation is an act of synthesis, mediated by language, culture and the texts that came before. AI is simply a new, more powerful mediator that makes this truth impossible to ignore.

This perspective reframes an educator’s task away from policing a fragile notion of originality. The more crucial questions become when and why to use a mediator like AI. Does the tool enable deeper intellectual labour, or does it supplant the struggle that builds virtue? The focus shifts from controlling the student to intentionally shaping the learning experience.

Reorienting AI through values and virtue

The rush to adopt AI tools without a philosophical framework is already leading us toward a more surveilled, less trusting and pedagogically shallow future.

Some educational systems are investing money in AI detection software when what’s needed is investing in redesigning assessment.

Policy is emerging that requires students to declare their use of AI. But it’s essential to understand that disclosure isn’t the same as meaningful conversations about intellectual virtue.

Answering the questions of why and when to use AI requires us to be architects of learning. It demands that we engage with thinking about learning and what it means to produce knowledge through the works of people like Dewey, Noddings, Zagzebski and others as urgently as we do with the latest tech blogs.

For educators, the responsible integration of AI into our learning environments depends on our commitments to cultivating a culture that values intellectual labour and understands it as inseparable from the knowledge and culture it helps generate.

It is time to stop defaulting to “how” and instead lead the conversation about the values that define when and why AI fits within meaningful and effective learning.

Soroush Sabbaghan is an Associate Professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary.

The Conversation

By Dr Mandi Joubert

Looking back on my academic journey, I feel deeply privileged to have pursued a doctorate and two master’s degrees while working full-time. The sleepless nights juggling family obligations, deadlines, assignments and professional responsibilities, often while self-funding my studies, taught me resilience.

But they also revealed the very real barriers that can derail even the most determined students. Barriers many are unable to overcome without support.

Today, as Head of Academics at Eduvos, I see the transformative power of removing those barriers. The current state of South Africa’s higher education landscape requires an urgent focus on ensuring that it truly serves all who seek to better themselves and their communities.

The barriers that leave students behind

South Africa’s higher education crisis is well documented, but the human cost of exclusion remains stark. Our research highlights several interconnected barriers systematically excluding capable students from accessing quality education.

Capacity constraints in public institutions create the first hurdle. With demand far exceeding supply, thousands of qualified applicants are turned away each year. Even securing a place doesn’t guarantee success. Affordability remains a crushing reality for many families. Beyond tuition, the hidden costs of textbooks, accommodation and lost income often force students to abandon their studies.

Perhaps most concerning is the academic preparedness gap. Many students arrive at tertiary institutions without the foundational skills needed for success. Traditional one-size-fits-all approaches fail these learners, who often drop out not from lack of ability, but from lack of appropriate support.

Innovating for inclusion

Addressing these realities requires a reimagining of higher education that centres on student outcomes and recognises today’s students don’t fit yesterday’s moulds.

Alternative academic pathways such as access programmes, bridging courses and higher certificates ensure a Grade 12 certificate without a Bachelor’s pass isn’t the end of one’s academic journey. Students at different life stages benefit from different learning modalities, which allow them to earn an income while studying, and eases the financial pressures that derail many promising careers.

Eduvos’ 12 campuses across major metros allow students to study closer to home, reducing relocation costs and maintaining family support networks. Multiple intake periods throughout the year also acknowledge that life happens, enabling students to start their studies when it suits them, or to temporarily defer their studies without significantly impacting their progression.

But access without support is meaningless. A proactive student support model, which includes a dedicated student affairs advisor to a manageable number of students (280 students per advisor at Eduvos), helps monitor attendance, academic performance and wellbeing. These advisors are supplemented by a comprehensive student support ecosystem. When early warning signs emerge, such as poor attendance, low engagement or academic under-performance, immediate intervention follows. This data-driven approach to pastoral care ensures no one slips through the cracks.

Preparing students for tomorrow’s world

Career-aligned qualifications must do more than teach current skills. They must prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist. Building and maintaining strong industry partnerships keep curricula relevant while developing the soft skills (agility, creativity, communication) that define employability in an evolving economy.

Eduvos combines career academics with industry practitioners, bringing real-world expertise into the classroom. Assessment methods use case studies and project-based scenarios to mirror workplace challenges, while work-integrated learning ensures graduates leave with practical experience, not just theoretical knowledge.

Crucially, instilling a culture of lifelong learning is paramount. In a world where career longevity depends on continuous upskilling, graduates must understand education doesn’t end at graduation, t evolves with their careers.

Public and private collaboration is key

The scale of South Africa’s higher education challenges demands collaboration. With youth unemployment at 46.1%, we cannot afford institutional silos or ideological divisions between public and private providers.

Private institutions contribute significantly to graduate outputs, yet we’re often excluded from national forums and policy discussions—a missed opportunity. We have capacity where public institutions are constrained, innovative delivery methods where traditional approaches fall short, and industry partnerships that could benefit the entire sector.

The solution isn’t competition between public and private institutions; it’s collaboration. By combining the scale and mandate of public institutions with the agility and innovation of private providers, we could create a higher education ecosystem that truly serves all South Africans.

The multiplying effect of education

What gives me hope is education’s exponential impact. Every graduate represents not just individual achievement but community transformation. First-generation graduates often become the foundation for generational change, with their success rippling through families and communities.

Africa’s rising youth population offers unprecedented opportunity, only if we equip young people with relevant skills and meaningful opportunities. The window for harnessing this potential is narrow, making inclusive, accessible higher education not just a social imperative but an economic necessity.

Counting everyone

Development succeeds only when it includes everyone. In South Africa, this means recognising there is no single path to success. Some students need evening classes to accommodate work schedules. Others require academic bridging to overcome historical disadvantages. Many need flexible payment options or intensive support systems.

The traditional higher education model serves a shrinking minority of students. If we’re serious about leaving no one behind, we must embrace models that meet students where they are—not where we think they should be.

As someone who had to work full-time to fund my studies, I understand the obstacles our students face. But I also understand their determination. By removing barriers, providing support, and creating multiple pathways to success, we do more than change individual lives—we transform communities and, ultimately, our nation.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to invest in inclusive higher education. It’s whether we can afford not to. In a world where knowledge drives prosperity, ensuring no one is left behind is not just a moral imperative. It’s economic survival.

Dr Mandi Joubert is Executive Head of Academics at Eduvos.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe has called on women to persist in education, become leaders and break cycles of poverty.

She has further urged government, business and industry partners to provide practical support.

Gondwe led the department’s official Women’s Month event in partnership with the Fibre Processing & Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) at the Limpopo Community Education and Training (CET) College’s Mageme Community Learning Centre.

“Let us rise above inequality, gender-based violence, poverty and despair. Let us uplift one another as women, as Basadi and Bo Mme who believe in each other and a better tomorrow,” Gondwe said.

The outreach programme, held in Sekgakgapeng Village was aimed at showcasing the contributions of CET and SETA sectors in advancing the development of women, particularly those not in employment, education, or training.

The gathering drew students, educators, traditional leaders, municipal representatives and partners from business and industry, united in a common vision of women’s empowerment through skills development and lifelong learning.

Gondwe reflected on the dual purpose of Women’s Month, honouring the historic struggles of women while recommitting to building better futures for communities.

Marking 10 years since CET colleges were established, the deputy minister acknowledged the sector’s significant strides in providing accessible education and training, especially to rural communities.

However, she also highlighted persistent challenges, including infrastructure shortages, low enrolment rates and poor academic performance.

Despite these hurdles, Gondwe noted one undeniable strength in the CET sector, namely the “women or female factor”.

Women now account for over 70% of CET college enrolments, while female lecturers constitute nearly 80% of the teaching staff.

Drawing a powerful connection between the present and the past, Gondwe invoked the legacy of the 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 to protest apartheid pass laws.

Addressing the women students in attendance, many of whom balance academic pursuits with roles as mothers, caregivers and breadwinners, Gondwe lauded them as “modern-day warriors” determined to rewrite their life stories.

The deputy minister reiterated the department’s commitment to transforming the Post-School Education and Training sector into an inclusive system that regarded CET colleges not merely as “second chance” institutions, but as vital centres for renewed opportunities.

She called for CET colleges to be adequately resourced, inclusive and responsive to the realities of women in rural and township communities.

Acknowledging the personal sacrifices many women make to further their education, Gondwe encouraged perseverance and underscored the importance of collaboration.

She called on partners from SETAs, Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges, industry, traditional leadership and other government entities to expand practical training opportunities, financial and nutrition support, and enterprise development.

Paying tribute to CET lecturers, Gondwe praised their dedication in sustaining learning centres despite limited resources.

The day’s programme also featured an address from the Mogalakwena executive mayor Ngoako Taueatsoala, who urged the community to work collectively towards building a more inclusive and robust economy.

Gondwe left attendees with a final call to action to rise above inequality, gender-based violence, poverty and despair.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in the Western Cape has expressed outrage at the provincial education department’s decision to maintain the same number of funded educator posts for 2026, warning that this will deepen existing pressures on schools and governing bodies.

In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, Sadtu provincial secretary Sibongile Kwazi accused the provincial education authorities of failing to prioritise the needs of learners and teachers.

This follows a series of consultations over the last month.

“The current situation has already placed pressure on school governing bodies, and it will further strain their budgets as they are compelled to provide funding for the additional posts in 2026. Sadtu reiterates that more posts could be provided had the employer listened to the union on the reviewal of the Annual Systemic Evaluations and the Back on Track programme,” Kwazi said.

According to the union, the decision to keep the educator post “basket” at 35,934, the same as in 2025, was confirmed during a meeting last month with education MEC David Maynier and finalised at a session with HOD Brent Walters.

During the session, the department reportedly presented two scenarios for the 2026 staffing plan.

One option involved declaring more teachers “in excess” at certain schools next year, followed by their redeployment to other institutions.

Sadtu rejected this, saying it would cause further “instability” in the education system.

Option two, which all unions ultimately accepted, retained the current number of posts in order to provide “greater stability” for schools, according to the department.

While Kwazi acknowledged that maintaining the current staffing level was preferable to further redeployments, the decision failed to address the systemic shortages that have forced many school governing bodies (SGBs) to pay for additional educators out of their own budgets.

Under the 2026 post basket in terms of teacher-pupil ratios, primary schools will remain at 1:35 secondary schools at 1:37, and the system-wide ratio remaining at 1:36.

Kwazi argued these ratios were already too high and would have a direct impact on the quality of teaching and learning.

One positive note from the consultations, according to Sadtu, was the department’s commitment to fully integrate Grade R into the educator staff establishment from 2026, albeit with funding drawn from a separate source.

The department also assured that Grade R practitioners who successfully upgraded their qualifications would be recognised as fully qualified teachers, with all associated benefits.

Kwazi said this was step toward the universalisation of early childhood education.

However, the union raised concerns about the department’s restrictive approach to hiring substitute teachers.

In 2026, substitutes will only be approved for educators on maternity leave, those taking long-term leave under the Policy on Incapacity Leave and Ill-Health Retirement, and for teachers who have been suspended.

The department is expected to issue its formal post establishment circular to all ordinary public and special schools by 29 August, outlining the official allocation of posts for the 2026 school year.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The Northern Cape will spend the next three to four years formalising and strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres to ensure every child has access to quality early learning.

This follows a two-day G20 indaba on ECCE between various stakeholders that saw a renewed focus on foundational learning and inclusive early education in the province.

“We are prioritising the improvement of infrastructure, the expansion of access to quality learning and teaching resources, and the integration of technology into early learning environments,” Northern Cape education MEC Abraham Vosloo said.

“We cannot ignore the challenges facing our ECCE sector, particularly in under-resourced areas. That is why we are calling on all partners—municipalities, the mining and energy sectors, civil society and communities to join hands with government to unlock opportunities for our children.”

Several private-sector partners have already stepped forward with meaningful investments.

“Some of our partners in the private sector have built modern, fully equipped ECCE centres that will leave a lasting legacy in their communities,” he said. 

“We welcome this and urge more to follow.”

The indaba brought together education leaders and experts who split into three focused commissions to tackle key challenges and develop recommendations.

Commission 1 looked at curriculum innovation and teacher development, with delegates exploring how to strengthen the foundation phase curriculum (Grades R–3) and better equip teachers with skills for age-appropriate, play-based learning.

Commission 2, chaired by senior manager of ECD in the Northern Cape, Mercia Fani, tackled inclusive and equitable access, identifying major systemic barriers such as funding gaps, poor infrastructure and lack of support for vulnerable groups.

“We cannot talk about inclusive education without confronting the real obstacles that prevent children in rural and disadvantaged areas from accessing ECCE,” Fani said. 

“This includes rethinking how we fund ECCE and ensuring proper support services are in place.”

Commission 3 focused on stakeholder collaboration and community involvement, with a key recommendation being the formation of interdepartmental ECCE forums at both provincial and district levels.

“We recommend that these forums include departments such as health and social development, and that municipalities take an active role in ensuring ECCE is part of integrated local development planning,” said one delegate during the report back session.

The anticipated outcome of these proposals is more streamlined service delivery and shared accountability for early learning outcomes.

Vosloo reminded delegates that ECCE was not a luxury, it was necessity.

“This is the foundation on which every child builds their future, and we must get it right.”

He said it was important to forge strong partnerships with the mining sector, the renewable energy industry, civil society and municipalities to mobilise resources and ensure sustainable support for ECCE programmes.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education chairperson Joy Maimela has voiced serious concerns that recently gazetted draft regulations for the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act could undermine the legislation’s core intent of transforming the education system and promoting inclusivity.

Maimela said the committee had previously urged the department to publish all BELA-related regulations at once to enable the public to engage with a single, comprehensive document.

“While we understand the intent may be to avoid technical delays, this fragmented rollout undermines the coherence, urgency and integrity of the BELA implementation process. South Africa’s children cannot afford to wait for bureaucratic caution or political compromise,” she stated.

Maimela noted that some terms in the draft text diverged from the Act itself, creating the impression that the regulations were diluting the legislation. This, she warned, risked perpetuating exclusionary practices that Parliament had sought to end.

In particular, she pointed to clauses on school admissions that instruct officials to consider the demographics and education needs of the “surrounding community”.

The Act instead places admission policy authority with the provincial head of department (HOD), based on the “broader education districts”, a shift designed to prevent localised gatekeeping that could maintain demographic homogeneity.

Similarly, Maimela criticised the introduction of “feeder zones” in the draft rules, a term absent from the Act, saying it could once again tie access to geographic boundaries historically used to exclude disadvantaged learners.

“It seems these regulations are attempting to re-write the BELA Act and re-introduce matters that were unsuccessfully contested in the legislative process,” she said.

She stressed that the committee remained committed to ensuring the Act dismantled rather than reinforced historical inequality, and it would continue to exercise oversight to safeguard its constitutional intent.

The GOOD Party expressed similar concerns but went further, accusing Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube of using the regulations to intentionally weaken the BELA Act and the amended South African Schools Act.

GOOD’s secretary-general Brett Herron described the publication as “a moment that should have been a milestone but has instead revealed serious concerns”.

“The BELA Act was meant to reform outdated admissions and language policy frameworks and dismantle the spatial, linguistic and racial barriers that persist in South Africa’s public education system. However, the wording of the regulations does not reflect that intention. Instead, the minister has selectively chosen language that risks entrenching exclusion,” Herron said.

According to Herron, the shift in wording from “broader community in the education district”, as stated in the Act, to “surrounding community, including language preference” closely mirrored a bilateral agreement Gwarube concluded with trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum in November last year.

He said the contradicted Parliament’s intent and was not incorporated into the final legislation.

Herron accused Gwarube of privately negotiating with Solidarity during public protests against BELA reforms led by the DA, AfriForum and the Freedom Front Plus.

These groups had opposed aspects of the legislation, claiming that it threatened Afrikaans-medium education.

He contended that the bilateral settlement reached at the National Economic Development and Labour Council had now resurfaced in the draft regulations despite President Cyril Ramaphosa ignoring it during the legislative process.

“The minister cannot use regulations to amend legislation. That’s settled law, her public power to draft regulations must implement the legislation, not a private deal excluding all other stakeholders,” Herron argued.

The dispute has also reignited debate over language policy in public schools.

Herron accused opponents of the BELA Act of weaponising the Afrikaans language issue to preserve historical privilege under the guise of cultural protection.

The two draft regulations, covering school admissions and language policy, are open for public comment until 5 September.

Herron urged citizens to participate in the process, warning that failure to amend the rules could trigger legal action.

Maimela, meanwhile, reiterated that Parliament’s oversight role would be “robust” in defending the Act’s inclusivity.

Maimela also encouraged stakeholders, including educators, parents, advocacy groups and learners, to scrutinise the documents and submit their views.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

In a significant step towards promoting STEM education, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has unveiled four new science laboratories in schools in Atteridgeville outside Pretoria. 

The schools are Bokgoni Technical Secondary School, Hofmeyr High School, Edward Phatudi Comprehensive School, and Seaparankwe Primary School.

Department spokesperson Mawkhosonke Buthelezi told Inside Education that the schools were chosen because they offered science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.

The event twas also attended by Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi, Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli, and City of Tshwane MCC for roads and transport, Tlangi Mogale.

Buthelezi said the newly equipped laboratories were part of a collaborative initiative between public and private sector partners, including the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation, Huawei, and Avon and Dedisa. 

“Public-private partnerships are important because government has limited resources, yet there’s a high demand for its services. Therefore, partnerships with the private sector for these projects is crucial for improvement in our communities,” he explained. 

According to Buthelezi, the old science labs in the four schools needed to be revamped and equipped with modern technology.

“[Because of] Minister Ramokgopa, because of his passion about STEM subjects, he took it upon himself to mobilise private sector assistance to revamp the labs and have them equipped with modern technology,” he said.

During the unveiling, Mhlauli, highlighted the importance of investing in STEM education, particularly in township schools.

“Here today, we are right now at a primary school because we obviously want these young people or the learners to get involved in STEM subjects from the primary school phase,” she said.

Ramokgopa also emphasised the significance of STEM subjects in driving economic growth and increasing competitiveness. 

“We are investing a lot in the STEM subjects because these are the frontiers of the future. They are the ones that are going to underpin our economic growth… and make our industries more and more competitive going into the future,” he said.

“STEM subjects are very important for learners to pursue as they influence innovation, particularly in technology and science.” Buthelezi added. 

“The labs will give learners a head start by getting used to conducting experiments while still in high school, and they will be inspired to pursue careers in engineering and other related areas.”

The event was part of the Mandela Month commemorations, highlighting the importance of education and community service.

According to Buthelezi, they have already implemented a similar project in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, and plans for other provinces would be determined as time goes on.

Mhlauli and Ramokgopa concluded the event with inspiring and uplifting messages, expressing hope and optimism for the future.

“We are excited. We’ve now discussed that we should be able to roll it out going to different provinces going forward,” Mhlauli said. 

“We want to grow it exponentially and expand its reach,” Ramokgopa said. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Basic Education Department has formally published two important regulations for public comments that will reshape how learners are admitted to public schools and how those institutions manage the number of learners they can accommodate.

The Regulations Relating to the Admission of Learners to Public Schools and Regulations Relating to the Capacity of Public Schools have been gazetted.

“The purpose of these regulations is to provide all departments and the governing bodies of all public schools with regulatory provisions to manage learner admissions in public schools… and provide for the minimum uniform norms and standards for the capacity of an ordinary public school in respect of the number of learners a school can admit,” the regulations read.

In short, the regulations are designed to bring fairness, clarity and order to the often messy and frustrating school admissions process.

They address long-standing issues around school overcrowding, unfair admission practices and unequal access, especially in high-demand urban areas.

Until now, many schools followed their own rules when admitting learners, often turning away children from the local community or prioritising certain language groups or income brackets.

The new admissions regulations fix this by creating a centralised, standardised process for all public schools in the country.

All school applications must be done online through the Admissions System, which opens during a set period every year, while the Head of Department (HOD) now manages all admissions, not individual schools or governing bodies.

Schools must prioritise children who live in their “feeder zones” rather than selecting based on preference or ability. Parents will need to provide proper documents such as birth certificates, proof of residence, immunisation records and past school reports.

Schools must accept children with disabilities and special support will be provided where needed.

The regulations list a priority order for placements, namely children who live within the school’s feeder zone; siblings of children already at the school; children of school staff; and children outside the feeder zone, ranked by how close they live.

If a child is not accepted at their preferred school, parents have a right to appeal the decision to the department within seven days.

The capacity regulations are meant to address overcrowding by ensuring every school knows and sticks to how many learners it can handle safely and effectively.

The HOD will decide each school’s capacity based on the size and number of classrooms, the number of teachers, furniture, equipment and learning materials, subject offerings, for example science labs, health and safety requirements, and special access for learners with disabilities.

Each school will now be audited yearly to update its official learner capacity, with this figure being published online so parents can make informed decisions when applying.

Schools may not accept more learners than their official capacity, unless the HOD gives special written permission.

Over enrolment can lead to disciplinary action against school principals or district officials.

The regulations also limit the role of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) in admissions.

In the past, some SGBs created their own policies that were used to exclude certain learners, especially based on language, income or ability.

Now, all admission decisions are made by the HOD, and SGBs must comply with the department’s regulations.

This change follows previous Constitutional Court rulings that found school policies cannot override the government’s duty to ensure fair access to education.

The new regulations are fully backed by law and align with the South African Schools Act, rights enshrined in Section 29 of the Constitution and key court rulings that protect learners’ access to fair and equitable schooling.

They form part of the broader reforms under the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which aims to modernise and streamline education policy across the country.

Schools must follow the centralised system and respect official capacity and can no longer use their own admissions rules.

Further, they must cooperate with audits and report accurate information, and they will face consequences if they break the rules.

Parents must ensure applying online within the set time and submit the right documents with no late applications accepted.

They can no longer “shop around” by applying to faraway schools without valid reasons, but have a right to appeal if they believe their child was unfairly rejected.

To ensure success, the department stressed that it would need to train school officials and district staff, help parents understand the new process through workshops and campaigns, provide technical support for online applications, especially in low-income areas, and monitor schools for compliance and respond quickly to problems.

The department has welcomed the new admissions and capacity draft regulations as representing a major step forward in building a fairer, more efficient education system in the country.

INSIDE EDUCATION