By Johnathan Paoli

In celebration of Youth Month, the Basic Education Department has called for the empowerment of learners through Life Skills and Life Orientation, equipping them with essential tools to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Chief director for social inclusion and partnerships in education at the department, Patricia Watson, described the launch a textbook series this week focusing on these subjects as milestone in transforming the educational landscape.

“These textbooks for Life Skills (Grades 4–6) and Life Orientation (Grades 7–12) are more than just learning materials. but roadmaps to self-discovery and empowerment,” she said.

The department in partnership with the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), officially launched the “At the Crossroads” Life Skills and Life Orientation Textbook Series at a DBE conference in Pretoria, under the theme “Skills for the Changing World: Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation”.

A total of 21 textbooks and teacher guides were unveiled. They address critical areas such as emotional intelligence, health, road safety, civic responsibility and future-focused thinking.

Watson stressed that the series aligned with a broader national vision of preparing young people for meaningful economic participation.

“Our tagline this year as a nation is Gear Up for Greatness. This is not just a slogan, but a challenge to reimagine education as a bridge to opportunity, linking classroom learning to real-world success,” she added.

She also emphasised the decolonial and Afro-optimistic nature of the content, explaining that the materials were designed to reflect and celebrate African heritage while preparing learners for a globally interconnected world.

“This series embodies a decolonised education. It’s Afro-optimistic, celebrating our heritage while preparing learners to engage meaningfully with the global community. It’s a bold step toward an education system that merges the mind and spirit, fostering a generation of resilient, innovative and socially conscious leaders,” Watson said.

Basic Education Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule echoed these sentiments, saying the series responded directly to the needs of South Africa’s young people.

“This series empowers our learners to connect with their futures and make a positive difference in their own lives and in society,” Mhaule noted.

She highlighted the wide-ranging scope of the textbooks, which covered important areas such as health, mental well-being, sexuality, technology, safety, and civic education.

“It helps children and adolescents make informed choices about health, nutrition, safety, mental well-being, sexuality, physical fitness and technology. These textbooks also guide them in managing their emotions, maintaining healthy relationships, and understanding their civic responsibilities under South Africa’s laws and Constitution,” Mhaule said.

Road Traffic Management Corporation CEO Makhosini Msibi announced the inclusion of road safety education in the series.

“The infusion of road safety education into Life Orientation and Life Skills will help create a generation that values life and understands the responsibilities of safe road use,” said Msibi.

He praised the series for not only equipping learners with academic knowledge but also with practical tools that could directly reduce accidents and fatalities among youth.

The NECT, which has played a key role in developing and coordinating the release of the series, reaffirmed its commitment to accessible, equitable education.

NECT CEO Godwin Khosa called for shared responsibility in ensuring the success of this initiative.

“As we unveil these textbooks today, we must remember that their impact depends on us all. Together, we can make sure that every child in South Africa is equipped with the tools to ‘Gear Up for Greatness’. Let us honour the legacy of 1976 by creating a future where no dream is out of reach and no person’s potential is left untapped,” Khosa said.

The launch comes at a time when the department is working to align schooling outcomes with the National Development Plan.

The department said that as an open-source, state-owned resource, the series would ensure that all learners, regardless of socioeconomic status, had access to high-quality, locally relevant Life Skills and Life Orientation content.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina has led a call for gender inclusivity in the emerging green hydrogen economy.

Addressing a diverse audience of women leaders at the Women in Green Hydrogen (WiGH) breakfast at the 2025 Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town, she launched the Green Hydrogen Mentorship Platform, which is aimed at building an inclusive, gender-responsive energy sector.

“Fundamental change depends on deliberate and inclusive implementation. We must ensure that women are not excluded from this energy transition,” she said.

Themed “Investing in a Regional Just Energy Transition: A Focus on Green Hydrogen”, the event brought together trailblazing women from government, academia, business and civil society.

The mentorship platform, developed through collaboration between the departments of Science, Technology and Innovation, Higher Education and Training, and the Energy and Water Sector Education Training Authority, seeks to connect emerging talent with seasoned professionals to advance equitable growth in the hydrogen sector.

The platform, first introduced at the 2023 World Hydrogen Summit in Germany, has already garnered strong international support.

Gina stressed that South Africa’s hydrogen policy frameworks, including the Hydrogen Society Roadmap, the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, and the Just Transition Framework, must deliver real transformation.

Gina noted that women accounted for only 23% of STEM professionals in South Africa, and fewer than 17% held leadership roles.

She said the country could not afford to replicate the exclusionary patterns of the past, urging participants to commit to mentorship and collaborative leadership.

Her sentiments were echoed by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe, who described the mentorship platform as a “strategic lever for change”.

She highlighted the platform’s potential to bridge gaps in knowledge and opportunity for women and youth, especially in remote or underserved areas.

Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré launched her department’s new gender guide at the event.

In her keynote address, she underscored the urgency of gender mainstreaming.

“Africa’s abundant renewable resources, expansive land and access to critical minerals put us in a globally competitive position for hydrogen development. But economic growth without gender equality is fragile,” she warned.

African Union Commission infrastructure and energy commissioner Lerato Mataboge called for gender equity to be embedded across Africa’s green hydrogen value chain.

“If we are to get green hydrogen right, then gender equality must be part of the equation. This is not a nice-to-have, it is a necessity,” Mataboge declared.

She outlined critical actions, namely expanding energy access for women and communities, channelling support for women and youth entrepreneurship, investing in STEM education, creating gender-responsive policies and workplaces, and showcasing African women’s leadership.

The breakfast concluded with a panel discussion led by Charles Dos Santos, who presented methods for hydrogen transport, and energy experts from Japan and Korea who shared international hydrogen policy insights and affirmed commitment to collaboration with Africa.

The Science, Technology and Innovation Department described the event as marking a strategic turning point for women in Africa’s green hydrogen future, calling for the continent’s energy transition to be just, inclusive and led by all.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called for national mobilisation to unlock the potential of youth through entrepreneurship as a strategy for tackling South Africa’s deepening unemployment crisis.

In an address delivered at the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator offices in Johannesburg under the theme “Enabling Entrepreneurship as a Pathway to Youth Economic Inclusion”, Mashatile warned that youth unemployment, which was currently at a staggering 56.3%, was not only an economic dilemma but a “social and moral emergency”.

“As Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council, I have prioritised the creation of platforms where social partners can find solutions to our human capital bottlenecks. We are determined to reverse the legacy of exclusion and inequality by investing in the entrepreneurial spirit of our youth,” Mashatile said.

The event, hosted by non-profit social enterprise platform enterprise, which focuses on connecting young people to work opportunities, brought together youth leaders, entrepreneurs, business stakeholders and government officials for a robust engagement on economic inclusion.

Mashatile situated the youth’s struggle for economic emancipation within the historical context of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, praising the sacrifices of that generation who “stood against the chains of apartheid’s cruelty”.

He urged today’s young people to take up a new mantle in the fight against economic exclusion, technological displacement and inequality.

The deputy president outlined the realities of exclusion of 9.2 million young South Africans not in education, employment, or training. The number is expected to grow by 600,000 each year.

With economic growth projected at just 1.8%, the formal labour market cannot absorb this influx.

“Our economy is simply not growing fast enough. Entrepreneurship must therefore be viewed not as an alternative, but a necessity,” he said.

He pointed to a suite of government-led interventions designed to empower young entrepreneurs.

These included the National Youth Development Agency Grant Programme and Youth Challenge Fund, the Innovation Fund that has supported 96 start-ups since 2020, the Transformation Fund which is set to disburse R20 billion annually over the next five years to black-owned and historically disadvantaged businesses, and the Spaza Shop Support Fund, which commits R500 million to revitalise township and rural informal trade.

“These are not handouts, they are investments in your potential,” Mashatile declared.

He also highlighted the Public Procurement Act, which prioritised inclusive procurement and local value chains as a powerful lever to connect young entrepreneurs to economic opportunities.

Further support would be provided through the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill, aimed at reducing red tape and ensuring targeted support for youth-led businesses.

Mashatile outlined the government’s commitment to integrating youth into the digital economy through the Digital Economy Masterplan and National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, which focus on expanding digital infrastructure, skills training and innovation.

He also celebrated the SA Youth Platform (sayouth.mobi), a flagship initiative of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.

Through partnerships with entities like Harambee, the platform facilitates access to job opportunities and career support.

“One of the most exciting examples of impact is the Basic Education Employment Initiative,” Mashatile said.

Now in its fifth phase, it recently placed 205,000 young people in schools across the country, a record for youth employment in South Africa.

The deputy president commended Harambee’s contact centre team for processing 17.9 million applications in just three weeks.

He urged everyone attending the event to work towards unity and innovation in dealing with the country’s youth unemployment crisis.

“Let us work together to create an enabling environment that nurtures entrepreneurial spirit and fosters a culture of resilience,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna

Higher Education Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe has underscored the urgent need for intentional upskilling among students to meet the evolving demands of the modern workforce, while ensuring that entities which financially support them get value for their money.

Gondwe was speaking during the launch of the Sasol Project Industry Engineering Internship Programme with New Age Engineering Solutions in Secunda, Mpumalanga, where she highlighted the importance of aligning academic programmes with industry needs to drive economic growth.

“Lots of young people are being trained, reskilled and upskilled but following that, what happens? We cannot just skill and train for the sake of skilling and training. We should ensure that as many of those students are absorbed into the economy,” she said.

The launch, which was facilitated by the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), forms part of the government’s effort to combat youth unemployment. It also highlights the critical role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges in national development.

The absorption rate of those in internship programmes into the labour market was recorded at 40%, a figure Gondwe described as worrisome.

She demanded that more be done to ensure that it increased, guaranteeing that many students were absorbed into the workplace.

“We need to do more. I think we are lagging behind in terms of ensuring that immediately when they leave our sector they go in somewhere else, they do not go home and sit there with a piece of paper in their hands,” Gondwe said.

EWSETA CEO Mpho Mookapele pointed out that several TVET lecturers returned last week from a visit in China where they were trained in manufacturing renewable energy components, which helped addressed inadequate resourcing and skilling of TVET lectures.

“We want to build and be proud of our public schools and also be proud of our public TVET colleges. We cannot only be driving our children to universities… the reality is that public colleges and TVET colleges should be actually the number one go too, because it really responds directly to what our industry requires,” said Mookapele.

Mookapele further expressed discontentment at the lack of interest young South Africans have shown towards certain job opportunities, including appliance repair technicians, saying EWSETA was looking at ways to address that.

“We have partnered with National Institute if Vocational and Technical Education (NIVTE) and other partners to look at how do we get young people interested in these vocations and also taking the opportunity and resigning from work to start their own businesses,” she added.

New Age Engineering Solutions Internship Programme beneficiary Dimpho Kwashu, who has an education degree from Unisa, told Inside Education that the transition into the technical environment had been stimulating, even though she had encouraged a few challenges.

“It has been very much challenging [coming from a theoretical education background], however, the transitioning has been informative. I have learnt a lot from the people that were mentoring me. I have, not just one mentor, but so many mentors,” she said.

Kwashu was inducted into the programme as a facilitator intern in 2023 where she was planning and presenting lessons to pipe fitter trainees, and she has since stayed at the company as a facilitator.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

More than 130 schools in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have sustained severe damage following a wave of violent storms, strong winds and floods that have battered the provinces.

The unfolding crisis has disrupted learning for thousands of children and underscored long-standing infrastructure weaknesses in South Africa’s education system.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 68 schools across nine districts were reported damaged, with the Ugu District being the worst affected.

Thirty-eight schools in this coastal region suffered significant structural damage, including KwaMadlala Primary in Pietermaritzburg, where four children were injured when strong winds ripped off the school’s roof.

No fatalities have been recorded in the province so far.

The inclement weather, which included heavy rain, high winds, and even snowfall in some areas, left many families displaced and at least 80 homes with damaged roofs.

Eskom technicians and municipal teams are working around the clock to restore electricity and access routes, particularly in areas still grappling with poor road infrastructure.

KwaZulu-Natal education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi confirmed that teams were still assessing the full extent of the damage.

“Some districts have sent us reports, but we are still collating information. By the end of the day, we hope to have a clearer picture of how many learners have been affected,” he said.

The storm’s impact on school infrastructure has led to the suspension of classes in some areas.

In KwaMadlala, community members have stepped in to salvage roof sheeting from destroyed buildings, pledging to begin repairs themselves if the government delays intervention.

Local residents said they did not want learning to stop for too long, beseeching the department to move faster in its recovery efforts.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi, praised the rapid response of disaster management teams but acknowledged that access and recovery efforts remain hampered by poor conditions.

“Our teams responded swiftly. We know the situation is challenging, but we are committed to restoring normalcy as quickly as possible,” he stated.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Cape, the aftermath of devastating floods has left more than 70 schools damaged and affected over 6,000 learners.

The province recorded 49 fatalities, some of them children swept away in a scholar transport minibus near Mthatha.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and confirmed that national resources were being mobilised to assist.

“We will work closely with the Eastern Cape Government and CoGTA over the coming days in order to make sure that we support our learners and educators during this disaster,” she said.

Eastern Cape education MEC Fundile Gade noted that the most affected regions include OR Tambo Coastal, Amathole East, and Alfred Nzo West.

“Some of these schools are not usable due to classroom damage, and alternatives must be explored. Despite the disruption, our use of controlled examination systems means that learners can still write exams in the coming weeks,” Gade explained.

The floods have reignited political tensions in the Eastern Cape, with the Economic Freedom Fighters calling for the provincial government to be placed under administration.

EFF provincial chairperson Zilindile Vena blamed officials for failing to invest in infrastructure.

“There was money for this infrastructure, yet it was not built or maintained. This disaster could have been prevented,” Vena charged.

The response to the storms also highlighted logistical challenges.

In KZN, the South African Scholar Transporters Association accused local taxi associations of extortion, claiming that taxi bosses in KwaDukuza demanded R3000 from legal operators to continue transporting learners.

Taxi council Santaco denied any knowledge of these payments and promised to investigate.

Across both provinces, the storms have disrupted not only physical infrastructure but also the education calendar, with mid-year exams underway.

While authorities in the Eastern Cape expressed confidence that alternative assessments can be implemented, there are concerns about delays in repair work, particularly in rural communities already burdened by poor service delivery.

Civil society organisations are urging the national government to prioritise long-term investment in education facilities that can withstand severe environmental conditions.

In the meantime, thousands of learners face uncertainty as their classrooms lie in ruin.

With more cold weather forecast in the coming days, both KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape authorities face mounting pressure to act swiftly, ensuring that learning continues despite the devastating toll of the storms.

By Johnathan Paoli

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane have praised job placement initiatives for their role in transforming the lives of young beneficiaries and contributing to turning the country around.

In a show of commitment to tackling youth unemployment, the two visited the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) in Pretoria East.

“I applaud you and wish you the very best, because when you are in it, it will give you full assurance of even getting a job and becoming much more productive. It’s going to bring out the best in you. Just keep at it. It will make you even a better human being who will contribute more positively to society,” Ramaphosa said.

The site visit formed part of the president’s broader engagement with beneficiaries of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) and the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES).

The FPD is one of 12 implementing partners in the groundbreaking Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund pilot employment programme which is funded by R300 million in public investment.

This includes R100 million from the National Skills Fund (NSF) and R200 million from the National Treasury.

Designed to drive real and measurable employment impact, it is the first large-scale pay-for-performance employment initiative in the country.

Since its inception, the pilot has enrolled over 6293 young people in skills development programmes, placed nearly 3628 participants in jobs and seen over 1,461 individuals remain in employment for at least three months, and 796 for more than six months.

“This initiative is changing lives through meaningful, sustainable employment for our youth. It was an honour to welcome president Ramaphosa to FPD this afternoon to witness the power of outcomes-based funding in action,” Nkabane said.

The visit also included engagements with learners and programme beneficiaries.

Ramaphosa expressed deep admiration for the youth who were actively participating in the programme.

“Even the most confident are becoming more confident. You are now willing to help other people — your clients are your uncles, your relatives, your neighbours. This is not only pleasing, but touching,” he said

The president also highlighted the psychological toll of unemployment and praised the Jobs Boost programme for restoring purpose and hope:

“When you don’t have a job, it’s confidence destroying. It’s depressing. You isolate yourself. But this programme is bringing out the best in you. Just keep at it,” Ramaphosa said.

In addition to FPD’s efforts in the health sector, offering affordable clinical and management courses tailored to youth and professionals, other implementing partners like Krutham SA are also actively engaged in the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund.

Nkabane lauded this as an example of successful cross-sector collaboration, involving her department, the NSF, the Presidency and civil society partners.

“This is what partnership looks like when everyone is focused on outcomes. The model demands results, not just training, and prioritises equity, accountability and impact,” she said.

Also accompanying the delegation was Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli, Acting NSF CEO Melissa Erra, and other senior officials.

The visit offered insights into how the government can scale innovative models that link public investment directly to employment outcomes.

Further supporting this national effort is Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, contracted by the Employment and Labour Department to serve as the national pathway manager under PYEI.

Harambee operates the SA Youth platform: a free, zero-rated service that has connected over 4 million young people to 1.67 million opportunities.

The organisation also works to stimulate demand in sectors such as digital services, early childhood development and global business services, while supporting youth to become work ready.

The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund is being closely monitored to extract lessons for future national scaling.

Ramaphosa thanked the project leaders and facilitators, calling their work “phenomenal” and urging wider rollout.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has called upon all provincial education authorities to develop and submit comprehensive financial and service delivery recovery plans as the country’s public education system faces one of its most severe financial crises in decades.

“The education sector is under extraordinary pressure. Without urgent intervention and robust financial planning, several provincial education departments risk becoming insolvent before the end of the current financial year,” Gwarube said.

The directive sent to education MECs and HODs as part of Gwarube’s ongoing efforts to stabilise the sector in the wake of a decade-long trend of underfunding and fiscal mismanagement.

The minister announced on Tuesday that these recovery plans must be submitted to the national department before the next Council of Education Ministers (CEM) meeting on 21 July.

Gwarube commissioned a full-scale financial review across all nine provinces shortly after assuming her post last year.

The review revealed a sector under enormous pressure, plagued by structural underinvestment, repeated reallocation of education budgets to prop up struggling state-owned enterprises and widespread inefficiencies in provincial financial administration.

In response to the review’s findings, she has instructed provincial education departments to collaborate closely with their respective provincial Treasuries to craft targeted financial recovery plans.

These plans must safeguard the constitutional right of learners to quality education while simultaneously ensuring fiscal discipline and sustainability.

The minister has instructed all MECs and HODs to account in detail for their performance in critical service delivery areas.

These include timely disbursement of statutory school payments, such as school allocations; as well the restoration or continuity of basic services in schools, including electricity, water, security, learner transport, and the National School Nutrition Programme.

In May, six provinces missed their deadline to pay schools.

In addition, the provincial authorities must account for the appointment of teachers and managers to all funded school vacancies.

They must also report on the eradication of ghost employees from provincial payroll systems, which has persistently drained education budgets and undermined credibility.

The national department has committed to using these recovery plans to stabilise education delivery. It will provide technical support and strengthen oversight mechanisms.

The minister stressed that while all provinces were under strain, the situation in some, particularly KwaZulu-Natal, had reached a critical stage.

Last month, the SA Democratic Teaches’ Union decided to embark on a work-to-rule campaign in the province over the state of the education system.

Gwarube recently held high-level meetings with provincial education MEC Sipho Nhlamuka, finance MEC Francois Rodgers and officials from the Office of the Premier to address the province’s escalating financial crisis.

In a bid to explore immediate interventions, the minister has tasked the education director-general Hubert Mathanzima Mweli with leading engagements involving the National Treasury, the KZN education department and other affected provinces.

These engagements aim to find urgent solutions to ensure that learners continue to receive essential services and education is not disrupted.

Gwarube stressed that the time for half-measures was over.

“There is no room for complacency. The choices ahead are difficult and, at times, painful—but they are necessary to preserve the integrity and sustainability of our public education system,” she said.

The minister reaffirmed her commitment to working with all stakeholders, both national and provincial, to protect learners from the consequences of the financial crisis.

The department has made it clear that it will not hesitate to take corrective measures where provinces fail to act decisively.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube reaffirmed her department’s determination to turn education into a powerful engine for empowering youth at the launch of a policy dialogue on entrepreneurship education on Monday.

She said there was an urgent need to equip learners with the skills, mindset and agency to face a changing world.

“Education is not only about preparing our youth for future education, training and jobs. It is also about preparing them for life. It is about equipping them with the ability to adapt, to lead, to innovate and to contribute meaningfully to society, whether as employees, entrepreneurs or just as engaged citizens,” she said.

The three-day event, held in partnership with the European Union’s Education for Employability (E4E) programme, brings together government officials, private sector leaders, civil society and academics to brainstorm solutions to the country’s education and employment challenges.

Gwarube began her address by stating that seven out of 10 young people in the country were without work and that the education system must be the conveyor belt to a future-ready workforce.

She outlined the department’s broader vision through the Three-Streams Curriculum Model and the pending national entrepreneurship education policy, calling for an education system that equipped learners not just to find jobs but to create them.

Gwarube linked the entrepreneurship agenda to foundational education reforms, particularly the need to improve early literacy and numeracy.

She also called for education rooted in ubuntu, encouraging ventures that benefited communities and built social cohesion.

The minister reaffirmed that entrepreneurship education was not a luxury, but a necessity.

Looking ahead to 2050, Gwarube warned that without urgent investment, South Africa’s youth dividend could become a burden, not a benefit.

Education deputy director-general for teacher development, Enoch Rabotapi, stressed the need for cross-sector collaboration and efficient resource coordination to integrate entrepreneurship into schooling.

“The department cannot do this alone. We need interdepartmental action and the private sector’s active role, particularly in work-integrated learning,” he said.

Rabotapi reiterated existing initiatives such as the Three-Streams Model and the General Education Certificate, noting their role in broadening learners’ post-school opportunities.

“Youth unemployment is a national emergency. If we want learners to transition successfully into society, we must teach them to innovate, not just to pass exams,” Rabotapi said.

European Union ambassador Sandra Kramer underlined the EU’s long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship education, referencing the EU’s Entrepreneurship Competence Framework and its emphasis on mindset development over simple business training.

She highlighted the March 2025 EU–South Africa Summit where a €4.7 billion investment plan was endorsed to boost key industries such as green hydrogen and pharmaceuticals that required entrepreneurial talent.

“We support entrepreneurship with what we call ‘360 support’ from mobile skill vans to small businesses financing, in partnership with multiple South African departments,” Kramer said.

She urged better use of existing Treasury funds and called for coordinated policy implementation.

“The pieces exist, we just need to align them with political will,” Kramer said.

Technical assistance team leader for the EU’s E4E programme, Andreas Schott, traced the initiative’s evolution from its 2018 inception to its current pilot projects with the Basic Education, Higher Education and Training, and Employment and Labour departments.

In Phase 2, launched in 2023, the Basic Education Department focused on institutionalising career development and entrepreneurship in schools.

Schott emphasised that interdepartmental collaboration remained critical to youth employability, especially for learners with disabilities and those from under-resourced schools.

“It’s not just about teaching skills, but about reforming the entire education-labour pipeline,” Schott concluded.

A panel discussion featuring actuary and education entrepreneur Taddy Blecher and Rabotapi reflected on the department’s entrepreneurship programme, which was launched in 2011.

Blecher described the initiative’s roots in the Human Resource Development Council’s national task team and its aim was to create an entrepreneurial mindset among all learners.

“Youth unemployment at 62% for the 18–24 age group means we need to think differently. The answer lies not in more subjects, but in more meaningful pedagogy with project-based learning, real-world problem-solving and creativity,” Blecher said.

Rabotapi acknowledged structural challenges such as overcrowded classrooms and undertrained teachers.

“Transformation isn’t just curricular, it’s systemic. We must align teacher training, infrastructure and community support to nurture entrepreneurial learners,” he said.

The first day’s discussions stressed the importance of viewing learners as confident, creative problem-solvers who were equipped to navigate and shape a rapidly changing world.

Teachers were urged to join the Project-Based Learning Programme, which positioned classrooms as hubs of innovation and social relevance.

Through ongoing policy development, capacity building and intersectoral cooperation, South Africa aims to shift from talking about change to enacting it with one learner, one school and one innovation at a time.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba

The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has accused the province of denying learners the opportunity to learn coding and robotics, computer applications technology and information technology due to a shortage of teachers.

Education MEC Matome Chiloane revealed in a written response to the DA’s questions in the Gauteng legislature that there was a shortage of 300 teachers for coding and robotics, 36 for IT and 35 for computer applications technology.

“This is unacceptable as learners are being left out in preparation for future workplaces that are increasingly reliant on new technology,” DA provincial education spokesperson Michael Waters said in a statement on Monday.

He further criticised the department for not complying with the national education policy, which stated that teaching coding to pupils should begin in Grade R.

“If premier (Panyaza) Lesufi is serious about growing the technology workforce in Gauteng, his government must start investing in infrastructure gaps and teacher shortages,” said Waters.

“The digital economy continues to accelerate at an ever-increasing speed while Gauteng learners are left behind.”

He said that many schools did not have computers, electricity and internet connections in their classrooms, making it impossible to offer IT lessons.

With nearly half of all teachers expected to retire over the next decade, Waters said drastic action was needed to ensure that critical subjects were not negatively affected and that learners were prepared for an ever-changing economy.

He said the DA would prioritise investing in school infrastructure, resources and teachers to ensure that schools across the province learned IT and were equipped for future workplaces. 

“We will also prioritise the speedy roll-out of the Gauteng Broad Band Network to ensure all schools are connected to the internet.”

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Sipho Hlomuka has welcomed more thousands of young people who officially began their roles as education assistants and general school assistants in public schools across the province on Monday.

Hlomuka lauded the programme’s dual benefit of addressing youth unemployment while improving the learning environment in schools.

“I take this opportunity to welcome these assistants and wish them well and to remind them of the importance of the role they will play in shaping the future of our learners.

“They must take the opportunity to make a positive impact change in the school and in the lives of the learners in the same way in which their lives are being changed by this incredible programme,” Hlomuka said in a statement.

This marks the latest phase of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), part of the national Presidential Employment Stimulus introduced in 2020 to tackle youth unemployment.

In this round, 45,658 youth between the ages of 18 and 34 have been placed in 5,752 schools, including primary, secondary, combined and learners with special education needs institutions across the province. All of them will be placed by the end of the month.

Their appointments follow a rigorous online application and school-based selection process, with all successful candidates required to provide police clearance certificates to ensure learner and staff safety.

The current phase of BEEI is aligned with the priorities of the 7th administration, with a particular focus on literacy, numeracy, science and technology.

The department has prioritised the appointment of unemployed qualified educators for roles within the programme.

These individuals are expected to bring subject knowledge and professional skills into classrooms while gaining practical experience and mentorship from full-time educators.

It said this approach would not only improve teaching and learning outcomes, but also help equip young professionals with the mentorship and practical exposure needed to advance their careers in education.

Beyond classroom support, the initiative also includes posts under the general school assistant category.

These include handypersons, who help maintain school infrastructure, and sports and enrichment assistants, who promote physical education, sport and cultural activities in schools.

Hlomuka said the programme was rooted in the constitutional principle of putting learners first.

“In giving effect to this, the department of education seeks to provide the best quality education to the learners. Therefore, priority is being given to applicants who are unemployed qualified educators,” the MEC said.

He called on the newly appointed assistants to embrace their roles with responsibility and passion.

INSIDE EDUCATION