By Johnathan Paoli

The Democratic Alliance has intensified its efforts to hold Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane accountable, filing a supplementary ethics complaint and escalating the matter to the Public Protector.

This follows revelations from prominent legal advocate Terry Motau SC, who denies ever participating in or chairing the panel responsible for the controversial appointments of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairpersons.

“In light of the new information that an alleged member of the panel denies participating, one can only wonder if a panel did ever exist, or whether the minister simply provided a list of names to Parliament of persons she believed would cover for her,” DA committee member Karabo Khakhau said.

The original complaint, which was submitted earlier this week, accused Nkabane of misleading Parliament by first claiming the SETA appointments were made by an “independent” panel and later contradicting that statement.

The new charge adds that a key figure she named as panel chair, Motau, has now publicly refuted any involvement in the process.

According to Khakhau, the minister violated the Executive Members’ Ethics Code and announced the referral of the matter to the Public Protector for further jurisdiction.

In a detailed written response to the minister seen by Inside Education, Motau categorically rejected any formal involvement.

He stated he had received a letter from Nkabane’s office on 18 March expressing intent to appoint him as chair of the nomination committee but was never briefed, never received documents, nor convened with any panel members.

Motau said he met once with the minister’s advisor, Asisipho Solani, and deputy director-general Rhulani Ngwenya to discuss logistics, but never received further instructions.

A follow-up meeting arranged for 23 March was missed by the officials, and no subsequent engagements followed.

“I did not hear anything further until I saw from the media reports that the process had been finalised and that the nominations and appointments had been made,” he said.

Motau’s name appeared on the list of panel members finally released by the minister on 17 June, following delays and mounting pressure.

The list also included four department officials, namely Solani, Ngwenya, chief director Mabuza Ngubane and chief of staff Nelisiwe Semane.

The panel’s appointments, which included politically connected individuals such as Buyambo Mantashe, who is the son of African Nation Congress stalwart Gwede Mantashe, former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, and ex-ANC KwaZulu-Natal deputy chair Mike Mabuyakhulu, sparked outrage across party lines.

The appointments were later rescinded following public and parliamentary backlash.

Inside Education reached out to Higher Education Portfolio Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie, who confirmed he had sent letters to all five named panelists, requesting responses by 25 June.

“We are working around the clock to get a date for this meeting,” he said.

“Only after verifying the facts, will we consider further action. If anyone is found to have deliberately lied to Parliament, criminal charges could be laid under the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament Act.”

Letsie emphasised the seriousness of the issue and said it was essential to establish whether a panel existed and if the minister violated her duties to parliament.

“We must first indicate that we will do due diligence to verify if it’s indeed true that anyone lied to Parliament and we will call panelists and the ministry with the department to ascertain if the information provided is correct or not,” he said.

The DA insists that misleading Parliament is not only unethical but unlawful.

“Since this scandal came to light, the minister has remained evasive, refusing to answer questions, delaying the disclosure of the names of the panel, continuing to conceal one of the names of the SETA appointment panel, misleading Parliament, and now, it appears, further misleading Parliament about who was on the panel,” Khakhau said.

The minister is set to face intense scrutiny as further investigations are conducted in the coming weeks.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng 

In a display of community spirit for Youth Month, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and Liberty joined forces to uplift learners at Umsilinga Primary School in Copesville, Pietermaritzburg. 

They handed over 100 pairs of school shoes and blankets.

The department is also assisting in renovating the school and manufacturing school uniforms through its rehabilitation and community reintegration programme.

It said the donation showcased the power of collective action in advancing compassion, dignity and social solidarity.

During the event, Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale said that every child deserved to be treated with dignity and compassion, and no one should suffer harm or neglect.

“These shoes and blankets may seem like simple items, but for many of these children, they represent so much more,” he said.

“A new pair of shoes can restore dignity, build confidence and allow a child to walk to school with pride.” 

Liberty’s head of sales in the province, Sihle Mnguni, said the initiative was part of Liberty’s Winter Shoe Drive, which was an employee volunteerism programme launched in 2017. 

Through staff pledges and contributions, Liberty has donated over 100,000 pairs of school shoes to learners nationwide, reinforcing the values of Ubuntu and corporate social responsibility.

The event featured a powerful testimony from parolee Andile Paul Mthethwa who turned his life around through the support of Correctional Services. 

Mthethwa’s story served as a reminder that education was key to breaking the cycle of crime and that rehabilitation was possible with the right support.

“I was first sentenced at 16 and my last stint behind bars led to my release at 33. I now live to show that change is possible. Education is the way out. Crime only takes away your future,” he said.

Liberty is also involved in other community upliftment initiatives.

They include donations of educational resources to underprivileged schools, supporting economic development projects in rural areas and providing disaster relief aid to affected communities. 

The DCS has also been involved in various community outreach programmes such as rehabilitating offenders, education and skills development initiatives and community service projects. 

They said this collaboration was a shining example of how South Africa could thrive when its institutions and people worked together, inspired by the values of care and humanity that former president Nelson Mandela stood for.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

KwaZulu-Natal’s education crisis saw a breakthrough this week as the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) announced a temporary suspension of its work-to-rule campaign following an agreement with the provincial education department.

“The union suspends its work-to-rule to allow the processing of payments and writing of examinations. The union leadership will continue to have meetings with the department as a way of monitoring the implementation of the decisions and commitments done by the employer,” Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said.

The move comes after weeks of tension, school-level disruptions and mounting public concern over missed exams and financial instability across the province’s schools.

At the heart of the crisis is a severe funding shortfall, which has left many schools unable to operate effectively.

Some principals resorted to borrowing funds to cover basic operational costs, while teachers paid out of pocket to print exam papers and buy essential supplies.

On Monday, the union met KwaZulu-Natal education HOD Nkosinathi Ngcobo to discuss a recovery plan.

This meeting followed a crucial engagement with premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, who earlier committed R900 million to help rescue the embattled education system.

Ntuli’s intervention came after pressure from Sadtu, the National Teachers’ Union (Natu) and other stakeholders.

He said the R900 million would be disbursed in two phases over three weeks.

The funds are aimed at clearing outstanding 2024 allocations and May 2025 payments, as well as ensuring the June examination cycle could proceed without further disruption.

“All outstanding school payments will be paid within two weeks. The June exams will go ahead without disruption. Discussions on filling critical education posts are underway. As premier, I remain committed to ensuring that teaching and learning continue across KZN,” Ntuli said.

Following the meeting with the HOD, the department presented a revised examination timetable, allowing schools to resume June exams on 18 June.

For schools lacking resources, the department has committed to printing and distributing exam papers.

Caluza confirmed the union’s support for the new plan and welcomed the department’s commitment to make school payments by 4 and 31 July, pending receipt of the premier’s pledged funds.

“We acknowledge the premier’s efforts, but the reality is that schools are still waiting for allocations. The union’s decision to suspend work-to-rule is based on the need to ensure exams proceed and learners aren’t further disadvantaged,” Caluza stated.

While progress has been made, Sadtu continues to push back against the compulsory implementation of standardised “common tests” for underperforming schools, defined by the department as those that scored below 85% in the 2024 National Senior Certificate exams.

The union criticised this practice as costly, bureaucratic and intellectually dismissive of teachers’ professional judgement.

“Imposing these tests undermines teachers. Schools are being told they volunteered, when in reality, they’re being forced. This contradicts the Department of Basic Education’s D3 Circular of 2023,” Caluza said.

The department has now agreed to hold a meeting on 27 June to discuss the future of standardised testing in the province.

The union views recent developments as a partial victory for educators and learners.

“Without our members’ commitment on the picket line, these changes would not have happened,” said Caluza, acknowledging the sacrifices made during the campaign.

Natu general secretary Doctor Ngema echoed this sentiment.

“The premier’s commitment to reviewing compensation for Grade R teachers and ensuring timely payments to National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) providers is a step forward. We are cautiously optimistic,” Ngema said.

However, concerns persist that the R900 million allocated is not sufficient to address the full scope of the department’s backlog.

According to Democratic Alliance education spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi, an additional R700 million may be needed to cover all unpaid accruals and operational deficits.

Even as payments are processed, many schools continue to operate under significant strain.

Reports of unpaid municipal bills, insufficient cleaning materials and frozen teacher posts are widespread.

The freezing of key support positions such as clerks, security staff and admin assistants has left schools vulnerable and understaffed.

Provincial education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi acknowledged the crisis but said meaningful engagement with unions had yielded a “common ground” and a shared commitment to solutions.

While the immediate crisis may have eased, stakeholders warn the underlying issues remain.

The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa’s Thirona Moodley stressed that while it was important that June exams were going ahead, it was merely one chapter in a longer story of an education system in distress.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Democratic Alliance plans on formally refering Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests for allegedly misleading the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education.

The move follows mounting controversy over the selection process of board chairpersons for the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

According to DA MP and committee member Karabo Khakhau, the referral stems from Nkabane’s claim that all members of the SETA Board Chairpersons Selection and Evaluation Panel were independent.

“Minister Nkabane doctored her cadres deployment SETA Selection and Evaluation Panel. She lied that the people are independent. They are not. They are her own staff and officials of the department. But she is still protecting one mystery person,” Khakhau said on social media.

The DA alleges that recent disclosures prove that the minister appointed ANC-aligned individuals through a flawed and opaque process.

Under pressure from Parliament and civil society, Nkabane released the names of the panel members more than a week after the initial deadline.

The six-member panel includes:

Senior counsel Terry Motau, who was appointed as chairperson but reportedly never attended any meetings

Asisipho Solani, a former SA Student Congress leader and ANC Youth League member, currently serving as an advisor to the minister

Nelisiwe Semane, chief of staff in the Ministry of Higher Education

Mabuza Ngubane, chief director for SETA coordination

Rhulani Ngwenya, deputy director-general for corporate services in the Department of Higher Education and Training

One unnamed individual identity remains concealed due to “personal discomfort”, according to the minister.

According to Khakhau, Nkabane has also withheld two names from the National Skills Authority (NSA) Selection and Evaluation Panel, as well as one each from panels overseeing the Universities Council and the Council for Higher Education (CHE), further fueling opposition concerns.

The DA argues that the presence of ministerial staff and political affiliates on the selection panel undermines its independence and violates principles of fair governance.

Khakhau further stated that the DA would push for the full release of all minutes, reports and documents related to the SETA appointment process, particularly those submitted to the NSA for final decision-making.

Tebogo Letsie, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, confirmed that the committee had repeatedly demanded the names of the panel, insisting that disclosure was a constitutional obligation.

Letsie added that the committee would investigate the selection process for the 21 SETA boards, which were central to national skills development and vocational training.

The scandal has drawn widespread criticism across the political spectrum. The DA, along with other opposition parties such as the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), has accused Nkabane of using SETA appointments to reward ANC loyalists.

The MKP denounced the appointments as “corrupt and politically motivated”, arguing that they reflected the ruling party’s entrenched practice of cadre deployment.

Late last month, Nkabane withdrew the list of appointed SETA board chairpersons following public outcry and reports of political interference.

In a statement issued by her office, the minister expressed her readiness to appear before the committee and explain the process that vetted 573 applicants.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Democratic Alliance has sounded the alarm on what it calls a “student living crisis” following an oversight visit to a Nelson Mandela University residence in Gqeberha.

The delegation uncovered severely deteriorated and unsafe living conditions for hundreds of students, many of whom are still waiting for overdue accommodation allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

“The conditions discovered during today’s oversight are undoubtedly mirrored on campuses across South Africa. Students have struggled with various aspects of the accommodations for a number of years, and rather than problems being solved, each year the situation seems to deteriorate,” DA higher education spokesperson Matlhodi Maseko said.

The oversight visit, led by Maseko, alongside national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau, Eastern Cape chairperson Yusuf Cassim and other party officials, revealed residences plagued by broken infrastructure, including collapsed ceilings, leaking pipes, shattered windows, dysfunctional bathrooms, broken perimeter fencing and overflowing refuse bins.

The Ocean View in North End residence houses approximately 600 students.

According to DA findings, NSFAS has failed to pay R2.97 million in monthly accommodation funding to this facility since last year, placing both students and housing providers in dire straits.

Maseko confirmed that students have reported constant threats of eviction, with many not receiving their NSFAS allowances in months.

They also allege that vulnerable students are being preyed upon by rogue landlords, who are withholding students’ belongings, including study materials, and some are being coerced into exploitative relationships in exchange for rent.

In response, the DA has launched a national online portal for students to report their accommodation challenges, available through the party’s website.

The platform allows students to upload photographs, detail living conditions and report unpaid allowances, exploitation and safety concerns.

Maseko said the platform would create a comprehensive national picture of the student housing crisis and help escalate urgent cases directly to the Higher Education and Training Department or NSFAS.

The DA has pledged to work closely with Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe to hold NSFAS to account and improve oversight on accommodation accreditation and funding processes. Gondwe has a help desk in her office that assists with a number of issues, including student accommodation.

Maseko further criticised the NSFAS’ student accommodation portal and accrediting systems, citing irregularities and inadequate vetting of service providers.

The spokesperson said the funding scheme was meant to be a beacon of hope.

“NSFAS is meant to help students, including those in vulnerable circumstances, to attain their goals and dreams, not be hindrances,” she said.

The DA said quality education was the best way for South African youth to become economically independent and thriving individuals.

NSFAS was unavailable for comment by the time of publishing.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Portfolio Committee on Higher Education chairperson Tebogo Letsie has welcomed the long-awaited submission of the names of the nomination panel tasked with recommending board chairpersons for the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

Letsie said that the committee has consistently held the view that Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane was constitutionally obligated to disclose the names of the panel members to Parliament.

“We are pleased that sanity has prevailed, and that the minister has now complied with this requirement. The committee believes this disclosure should have occurred from the outset,” Letsie said.

The list was submitted by Nkabane on Tuesday, following weeks of mounting pressure from Parliament and political parties.

The committee had previously expressed concern about delays and the minister’s initial refusal to provide the names, citing the Protection of Personal Information Act.

This, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other opposition parties argued, was a misapplication of the law to evade parliamentary oversight.

The deadline to submit the names, originally set for 11 June, was missed, prompting calls from the DA for the minister to be formally summoned to account before Parliament.

In the end, Nkabane released the names of the six-member panel, which includes prominent legal and administrative figures.

Terry Motau, a respected Senior Counsel known for leading high-profile forensic investigations, including the VBS Mutual Bank scandal, was chair of the appointment panel.

However, Motau did not attend any of the panel’s meetings.

Other members included an advisor to the minister, Asisipho Solani, Nkabane’s chief of staff Nelisiwe Semane, the department’s chief director of SETA coordination Mabuza Ngubane, and Deputy Director-General Rhulani Ngwenya.

While the panel has now been officially disclosed, concerns remain over the process it followed.

Nkabane initially withdrew a list of SETA board chairpersons following public outrage and leaked reports alleging that ANC-linked individuals were being rewarded with lucrative positions.

DA national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau, a member of the portfolio committee, previously accused Nkabane of “blatant arrogance” and evading transparency.

“The chickens are coming home to roost. Minister Nkabane cannot run away from being held accountable for her attempted politicisation of the SETA boards,” Khakhau said last week.

She welcomed the withdrawal of the politically aligned appointments, describing it as “a step in the right direction” and a rejection of ANC patronage.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) echoed this criticism, calling the appointments corrupt and politically motivated.

It lambasted Nkabane’s initial secrecy as part of the ANC’s broader strategy of cadre deployment.

The minister, through a media statement issued by her office, reaffirmed her willingness to appear before the committee and explain the panel’s role in vetting the 573 applicants for SETA board chairperson roles.

Letsie reiterated that transparency was non-negotiable.

“We are dealing with public institutions funded through parliamentary appropriations. It was therefore baffling that the committee had to strongly remind the minister of such a basic accountability requirement in our democratic governance system,” he said.

The committee will now scrutinise the process followed in selecting the chairpersons for the 21 SETAs, which play a central role in youth skills development, vocational training and economic empowerment.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Basic Education Department has praised the transformative potential of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) in combating the linguistic legacy of the country’s past, calling for the facilitation of African languages in shaping identity, academic success and social justice.

The department, in partnership with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and several leading education and literacy organisations, hosted the inaugural Language Our Freedom dialogue, which brought together learners, teachers, policymakers, artists and activists to confront South Africa’s enduring language inequities in education.

“This dialogue is important because we are accounting to the public what we’ve done, what we still need to do and why this matters. We must talk openly about the experiences of learners, teachers and parents. Only then can we overcome the stigma that has trapped mother tongue education in the legacy of Bantu Education,” said Naledi Mbude-Mehana, deputy director-general for transformation programmes at the department.

South Africa’s multilingual policy, though progressive on paper, still leaves many learners behind.

Currently, only Afrikaans and English speakers access education in their mother tongue beyond Grade 3.

“We are trying to fix that. All children, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Kaaps, isiZulu, and more, deserve the same privilege. This is about linguistic justice,” said Mbude-Mehana.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube sent a message of support to the dialogue.

“Language is not just communication, it is memory, dignity, identity. The youth of 1976 were not just fighting Afrikaans; they were fighting for their voices. Today, language still determines who thrives and who is left behind. We are making MTbBE a priority of this seventh administration to change that,” Gwarube said.

The event reflected this commitment through a rich agenda, covering topics like rethinking language in education policy, reclaiming linguistic heritage, and bridging basic and higher education.

Panels featured insights from academics, learners and policy leaders, blending scholarly rigor with lived experience and cultural expression.

Senior lecturer in African Language Studies at the University of the Western Cape, Sebolelo Mokapela, highlighted the intellectual richness of indigenous languages.

“We are not just preserving culture, we are producing new knowledge. Every time a learner learns in their home language, they are being intellectually affirmed,” Mokapela said.

National chairperson of the parliamentary committee on basic education, Joy Maimela, called for a fast-tracked, inclusive implementation of MTbBE, saying language remained a critical barrier to learning in post-apartheid South Africa.

“Linguistic justice isn’t just a pedagogical concern. It is a constitutional and moral imperative. When we deny learners access to education in their home languages, we effectively deny them equal opportunities, we undermine their identity, we marginalise their cultures and we perpetuate historical injustices,” Maimela said.

She stressed the importance of confronting the colonial and apartheid legacies that continued to shape the language of instruction in schools, challenging lawmakers and educators alike to confront deep-seated biases.

“Parents often take pride when their children only speak English. That’s the success of apartheid thinking. Our own languages have been devalued. But today, we say: enough,” she said.

Funda Wande head of programmes Zolani Metu reinforced the practical value of MTbBE.

“We see the data. When children learn to read in their home language, they grasp concepts faster, especially in maths and science. It’s a foundational shift with generational impact,” Metu said.

One of the highlights was the discussion on Kaaps (Afrikaaps), a historically marginalised variety spoken in the Western Cape.

Quentin Williams, founder of the Society virrie Advancement van Kaaps, previewed the forthcoming Trilingual Dictionary of Kaaps.

“Naming our language is reclaiming our identity. Kaaps is not slang; it is a fully formed linguistic system with history, rules and soul. This is about restoring dignity,” Williams said.

Cultural organisation and digital library TAQA’s Tsepang Khoboko shared how technology could bridge linguistic gaps.

“Tech can democratise access to education, but only if the content reflects our languages and realities. Language justice must be embedded in the digital future,” Khoboko said.

The department pledged to scale MTbBE as a strategic priority.

While pilot programmes have shown success, full implementation faces challenges, including teacher training, material development and community buy-in.

Mbude-Mehana explained that the department needed parents, school governing bodies and learners to understand that bilingual education meant better learning, not language exclusion.

Maimela reaffirmed Parliament’s oversight role, vowing to take the issue further.

“Once this report lands on our desks, we will act. We will legislate, fund, and monitor. Because our languages are not just our freedom, they are our future,” she said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

In celebration of Youth Day, Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has highlighted the national government’s recognition of sport as a transformative tool in youth development.

She said sport could unite communities, empower young people and connect them to educational opportunities.

Nkabane made an appearance at the annual Matsila Soccer Tournament held at the Mathabani Soccer Grounds in Majosi Village, Limpopo.

“Sport and education are not separate tracks, they are parallel forces that must work together if we are to truly transform the future of our youth. Events like these build unity, foster social cohesion and remind our young people that they are not forgotten. They are the future and we must equip them with both the skills and the spirit to lead,” Nkabane said.

Hosted by the Matsila Foundation and led by Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the event, now a flagship event in the Vhembe region, attracted thousands of community members, youth and local leaders, all gathering under the banner of sportsmanship, pride, and development.

The minister emphasised the importance of post-school education and training in combating unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

“As the Post-School Education and Training sector, we are re-engineering the curriculum to respond to the demands of the modern economy. We do not want young people to be spectators in the country’s economic development, they must be central players,” Nkabane said.

Before kick-off, the minister took time to engage directly with youth in attendance, encouraging them to apply early to higher education institutions and to take advantage of National Student Financial Aid Scheme funding opportunities.

She reiterated her call for communities to support both academic and athletic pursuits.

The Matsila Soccer Tournament, which saw 16 teams competing over several weeks for a prize pool of R35,000 and more, is one of the largest community-driven youth sports events in Limpopo.

This year’s champions, Vhangani FC, lifted the trophy to the thunderous cheers of their supporters, with Nkabane and Matsila handing over the awards at the closing ceremony.

Matsila, the visionary behind the tournament, praised the impact of youth sports on social development.

“We don’t have much, but what we offer can change lives. Some of these boys may one day play for national teams, but more importantly, they learn discipline, teamwork and ambition,” he said.

Nkabane echoed this sentiment, stating that sport taught resilience, and when paired with education, became a weapon against poverty and hopelessness.

The minister made it clear that commemorating Youth Day should not be about ceremony alone, but about action.

“We are here not just to remember the past, but to build a future. One where no child is left behind because of where they were born or how much money they have,” she declared.

Nkabane said that the tournament has proven once again that when sport, education and leadership came together, communities thrived and youth were inspired to rise.

“This is not just a tournament. It is a movement. A celebration of our youth, our culture and our dreams for a better South Africa,” she said.

Matsila announced intentions to involve more local businesses in next year’s tournament to grow the platform and provide even more opportunities for youth development.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called for urgent education reform, facilitating greater opportunities for graduates and encouraging skills development as a national priority in addressing the scourge of youth unemployment in the country.

Delivering the keynote address during the Youth Day commemoration at North-West University’s Rag Farm Stadium under the theme “Skills for a Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation”, Mashatile placed the future of South Africa’s youth at the centre of the nation’s developmental agenda.

“In this regard, this year’s theme is more relevant to the noble cause for which the generation of 1976 and those who came before them were prepared to lay down their lives. It embodies the essence of what we aim to achieve together – a future where our youth are not just empowered, but actively engaged in shaping a better tomorrow,” Mashatile said.

Celebrating the progress made in education, the deputy president noted the leap in the national matric pass rate, from 58% in 1994 to 87.3% in 2025, and the substantial expansion of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which now supported over 1.1 million students.

“While we are not yet where we want to be, we are far removed from the inequality inherited at the dawn of democracy,” Mashatile said.

He highlighted racial and gender transformation in higher education, citing that Black students now made up 80% of enrolments and women accounted for more than 60% of tertiary graduates.

Yet he acknowledged the severity of the youth unemployment crisis.

“More than 3.8 million young people are not in education, employment or training. Even graduates are struggling — nearly one in four remains unemployed. This is not just an economic issue. It is a moral emergency,” he said.

Mashatile emphasised that education reform must align with the rapidly evolving demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He referenced government strategies such as the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy and the Digital Economy Masterplan and called for revolutionising learning practices.

The deputy president said the newly launched South African National Service Institute would provide structured practical training in artificial intelligence, robotics, energy and agriculture.

Mashatile called for a cultural shift, reiterating that entrepreneurship was one of the keys to building a better future.

This was echoed by National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) executive deputy chairperson Karabo Mohale, who issued a passionate plea for a youth-centered economy.

“Young people are not looking for handouts. They are looking for a chance to contribute. Turn labs into launch pads. Fund youth-led innovations. Create jobs where young people live in rural areas and townships,” she urged.

The NYDA’s initiatives, including the Youth Challenge Fund and the Grant Programme, were aimed to catalysing entrepreneurship, particularly for those without traditional employment access.

In his address, North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi acknowledged the province’s status as having the highest unemployment rate in the country.

He maintained the provincial government was taking action, referencing the recruitment of 2000 youth into a R57 million dry beans farming initiative and the launch of artisanal training for 3000 youth in collaboration with the SA National Defence Force.

He also celebrated ongoing infrastructure and bursary investments, noting that 700,000 learners were currently attending no-fee schools, and over 480 youth would be trained in AI and robotics over the next two years.

“Let us remember, revolution is not just about slogans,” he said, quoting Pan Africanist revolutionary Thomas Sankara. “It is the transformation of reality to improve the concrete situation of our people.”

While celebrations carried on, protests flared in the nearby Ikageng township, where residents barricaded roads demanding water, sanitation and employment in public works programmes.

Mokgosi acknowledged these frustrations.

“We are working with municipalities daily to address these service issues. These youth are not forgotten,” he said.

The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union issued a strong statement demanding concrete action.

“We must go beyond slogans. Invest in quality education that responds to 4IR. Expand access to technical training and support youth-led businesses,” Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said.

Cembi cited youth unemployment statistics from the first quarter, describing the 46.1% unemployment increase among youth, with 4.8 million young people without jobs, as a betrayal of the sacrifices of 1976.

Concluding his address, Mashatile called for collective responsibility.

“The future belongs to our young people. We must open the doors of learning wide enough so that no youth is left behind,” he said.

He added a reminder that some young people have stopped believing, describing the country as standing at a crossroads between historical memory and future opportunity, between policy and lived reality.

Earlier in the day, Mashatile, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Sports and Recreation Minister Gayton McKenzie handed over a multi-purpose sport facility of Promosa Secondary School in Potchefstroom.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Gordon A. Gow

Today’s large language models (LLMs) process information across disciplines at unprecedented speed and are challenging higher education to rethink teaching, learning and disciplinary structures.

As AI tools disrupt conventional subject boundaries, educators face a dilemma: some seek to ban these tools, while others are seeking ways to embrace them in the classroom.

Both approaches risk missing a deeper transformation that was predicted 60 years ago by Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan.

McLuhan’s insights can help educators — and all of us grappling with the meaning, uses and misuses of AI — to think about how to cultivate a new mindset, one that integrates human agency and machine capabilities consciously and critically.

‘Oracle of the electric age’

In the mid-1960s, McLuhan published Understanding Media, earning a reputation as the “oracle of the electric age.”

In the chapter, “Automation: Learning a Living,” McLuhan opens with a provocative observation: “Little Red Schoolhouse Dies When Good Road Built.” Technological change, he suggested, doesn’t merely augment existing systems — it transforms them.

While roads once expanded access to specialized education, automation reverses this logic, he argued.

This is because disciplinary boundaries are dissolved, and the intersection of learning and work is redefined. He wrote:

“Automation … not only ends jobs in the world of work, it ends subjects in the world of learning.”

McLuhan foresaw that computing would enable new forms of pattern recognition, requiring fundamentally different ways of thinking — more integrative, relational and responsive — rather than simply accelerating old methods.

Automation makes the arts mandatory

Crucially, McLuhan argued that far from making the liberal arts obsolete, automation makes them mandatory. In an age where machine intelligence is integrated into communication and creativity, the humanities, with their focus on cultural understanding, ethical reasoning and imaginative expression, become more essential than ever.

To navigate this landscape, we can borrow from complex systems researcher Stuart Kauffman’s concept of the “adjacent possible,” as developed in author and innovation expert Steven Johnson’s theory of innovation.

The “adjacent possible” refers to the set of opportunities and innovations that become accessible when new combinations of existing ideas and technologies are explored.

This gives rise to what I refer to as AI-adjacency: a framework that treats artificial intelligence not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as a partner in strategic collaboration and creative inquiry.

6 ways AI can be a partner in creative inquiry

1. Critical discernment

AI-adjacent learning begins with critical discernment: the ability to assess intellectual and cultural value regardless of whether AI was involved in the creation process.

When game designer Jason Allen’s AI-assisted image, Théâtre D’opéra Spatial, won first place in a digital arts competition at the 2022 Colorado State Fair — and Allen shared information about it on social media — controversy ensued.

Commenters were unsure how to evaluate artistic merit when creative direction is shared with AI. Allen reportedly spent more than 80 hours crafting over 600 text prompts in Midjourney, and also digitally altered the work. The debate illustrates how critical discernment moves beyond detecting AI use to asking deeper questions about authorship, effort and esthetic judgment.

2. Strategic collaboration

Strategic collaboration requires nuanced decision-making about when and how to involve AI tools in a creative process. A recent study reports that “the impact of ChatGPT as a feedback tool on students’ writing skills was positive and significant.”

As one student in the study noted: “When you use ChatGPT in a classroom with your classroom, you’re doing it with several people. So much talk going on simultaneously! It’s kinda cool. The conversations are so meaningful and without noticing, we are working together and writing.”

The value here is in an AI-facilitated collaboration that encourages students to become more interested in learning how to express themselves through writing.

3. Voice and vision stewardship

Stewarding voice and vision means ensuring that technology serves individual expression, not the other way around. At Berklee College of Music in Boston, with varied instructors, students are encouraged to explore AI’s varied potential uses in enhancing their creative process. If it’s used, instructors emphasize outputs must reflect the artist’s own style, not just the algorithm’s fluency. This fosters self-awareness and creative authorship amid technological collaboration.

4. Cultural and social responsibility

AI tools are not neutral, but they can be powerful allies when developed with cultural and social responsibility. Researchers on Vancouver Island are developing AI voice-to-text technology specifically for Kwak’wala, an endangered Indigenous language.

Sara Child, a Kwagu’ł band member and professor in Indigenous education leading the project, told CBC that by “building the technology tool, the speech recognition tool, we can tap into that amazing resource that will help us recapture and reclaim language that is trapped in archives.”

Unlike existing systems designed for English, this AI must be built from scratch because Kwak’wala is verb-centred rather than noun-based.

The project demonstrates how AI can amplify marginalized voices. In this case, Indigenous communities control the development process and cultural knowledge remains in community hands.

5. Adaptive expertise

Adaptive expertise means knowing when to innovate beyond routine solutions. Medical education researchers Brian J. Hess and colleagues define it as “the capacity to apply not only routinized procedural approaches but also know when the situation calls for creative innovative solutions.”

In an AI-integrated world, students must distinguish between when AI-generated responses are appropriate and can enhance productivity, versus when situations require human, slower, in-depth thinking and creative analysis.

For example, history students can use AI to quickly process archival materials and identify patterns, but must also learn how to use AI to help them interpret the cultural significance of those patterns, which requires innovative analytical approaches grounded in a liberal arts education.

6. Creative and intellectual agency

Creative and intellectual agency represents a central pillar of humanities education, rooted in the German concept of Bildung, which is developing oneself through critical engagement with complex ideas.

This principle of cultivating independent thinking and deep attention to challenging problems remains essential in an AI-integrated world. The challenge facing higher education is find ways to amplify intellectual agency through creative collaboration with AI tools. At Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, humanities students work with computer scientists to develop interdisciplinary courses like “Algorithms and Social Justice,” which involves applying humanistic perspectives throughout data analysis processes.

McLuhan’s warning: loss of self-awareness

McLuhan also offered a powerful warning through the myth of Narcissus in Understanding Media.

Contrary to popular view, McLuhan argued Narcissus didn’t fall in love with himself; instead, he mistook his reflection for someone else.

This “extension of himself by mirror,” McLuhan writes, “numbed his perceptions until he became the servomechanism of his own extended … image” — meaning, Narcissus became dependent on his own reflection.

The real danger of AI isn’t replacement. It’s the loss of self-awareness. We risk becoming passive users of our own technological extensions and allowing them to shape how we think, create and learn without realizing it. In McLuhan’s terms, we become tools of our tools.

AI-adjacent practices offer a way out. By engaging consciously with technology through the six dimensions, students learn to use AI critically and creatively — without surrendering their agency.

Gordon A. Gow is the Director of Media & Technology Studies at the University of Alberta.

The Conversation