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The New Face of South African Education
Women in Leadership - Minister Siviwe Gwarube
By Jessie Taylor
As South Africa's youngest member of Cabinet, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube's first few weeks in office have been marked by a commitment to collaborating with the education sector to reform South African schools.
Minister Gwarube, at age 35, is currently the youngest Cabinet Minister in South Africa’s history. She has been a member of Parliament since May 2019. The former DA chief whip previously served as the party’s shadow Minister of Health and National Spokesperson.
Collaborating for education reform Minister Gwarube has indicated she will establish a consultative forum consisting of education sector representatives, trade unions, school governing bodies and others to undertake a fundamental review of the education system.
The forum will also make recommendations on how to improve the curriculum to achieve better outcomes and will look at, among other things, the literacy and numeracy of pupils and reducing the dropout rate.
"[The forum] needs to include all our key stakeholders across the sector, as well as experts in key disciplines. This council, once up and running, will be an invaluable resource in ensuring that our efforts to strengthen our education system are targeted, evidence-based and informed by best practice," said Minister Gwarube. The body will also look at how to incorporate early childhood development into the education system, examine the quality of teaching and what infrastructure upgrades are needed.
Minister Gwarube added that she will be undertaking a careful review of the recently published Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure to ensure that "they offer greater clarity and drive meaningful improvements in this regard. We cannot have learners in danger of drowning in pit toilets or learning in inappropriate structures 30 years into our democracy," she said.
Minister Gwarube has also indicated that she will request that President Cyril Ramaphosa send the BELA Bill back to Parliament in a bid to address parts that the education sector has rejected.
The Bill proposes to amend the SA Schools Act and Employment of Educators Act so as to align with developments in the education landscape, but it has received some pushback. Among the changes that would come into effect through the Bill are compulsory Grade R attendance for children and system improvements for admission of learners to public schools. It also provides for financial and public accountability frameworks for governing bodies and provincial departments.
Investing In Changing Young Lives
Minister Gwarube is known for championing greater accountability and executive oversight in Parliament, and she introduced various amendments to the rules of the South African National Assembly to strengthen its hand against corruption and better service delivery.
She also tabled legislation in Parliament that would seek to stabilise coalition governments at local, provincial and national governments. Minister Gwarube has stressed her commitment to uplifting and empowering every child in South Africa through the provision of quality education, especially those living in poor communities.
"It is our constitutional mandate to do so, to give meaningful expression to the right to basic education enshrined in our Constitution. The power of education to change one’s life trajectory cannot be understated. There are far too many children in our country for whom a quality education is out of reach and for whom life chances are severely diminished," she says.
"We simply cannot shrink away from our responsibilities to them." Minister Gwarube said that deliberate and sustained systemic efforts must be made to improve the quality of teaching and learning in South African schools.
"As with the Government of National Unity, our national and provincial partners and stakeholders in the basic education sector need to work collaboratively, creatively and earnestly, irrespective of our different backgrounds and beliefs, to ensure that we make meaningful strides in strengthening and enhancing our existing systems and do everything possible to improve the life chances of our children," she said. "The best interests of our learners need to guide our collective efforts in this regard."
