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IOL News
14-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Basic Education Minister Gwarube to review school feeding programme in a bid to tackle challenges
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the National School Nutrition Programme is set for a comprehensive review. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has announced plans to review the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) to ensure it is managed efficiently and provides quality food to pupils. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube informed the members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) recently that her department intends to review how the programme is managed going forward amid concerns about dysfunctionality. The minister's revelations have been welcomed by suppliers in KwaZulu-Natal, who stated that there are serious challenges in the programme, especially regarding the selection of suppliers. The minister said, 'We are reviewing the models used by provinces to implement the National School Nutrition Programme to improve efficiency, financial management, and accountability in how this programme is implemented. 'Through better project management and grant monitoring, we aim to ensure that every allocation strengthens teaching and learning outcomes,' the minister said. The department said in a statement that the School Nutrition Programme is funded at R10 billion, feeding over 9 million pupils every day. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading It was not immediately clear what specific changes the minister seeks to implement in the programme. The previous administrations had discussed possibly centralising the tender process, with one main supplier being responsible for food delivery. This approach was attempted in KZN but resulted in disastrous consequences, where the supplier failed to deliver meals, leading to children not being fed. The programme faced other challenges in the province. This year, suppliers have expressed concerns about non-payment for services, stating that the rates paid do not adequately cover the food they are required to deliver to schools Expanding on the possible changes in the programme, ministry spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa stated that the minister has asked the department to examine the distribution models used in the provinces. The aim is to identify areas where greater efficiencies can be achieved through economies of scale, to remove hyper-centralisation, close gaps that lead to corruption, and improve the quality of food delivered to learners. 'Numerous reports have highlighted challenges with the NSNP, including food that was not delivered on time to various schools, allegations of corruption in some provinces, and issues with the quality of food in certain areas. The minister is currently conducting a review, and it is only after she has received the data from that review that she can evaluate which models would work best in different contexts,' he said. Thabang Mncwabe, a representative of the NSNP Service Providers Association in KZN said they noted the minister's report on proposed improvements for the scheme. But he said all role players, including the leaders of the industry who have been consistently calling for the transformation of the NSNP should be heard during the review process. He added that they were concerned with the processes followed for the NSNP tender in KZN and called for provincial treasury to halt the appointments to be published on Friday pending due diligence. Sakhile Mngadi, the DA spokesperson on Education, said they fully supported Gwarube's commitment to reviewing the implementation models of the National School Nutrition Programme. 'In KwaZulu-Natal, the recent failures of the programme—marked by food shortages, irregular suppliers, and poor oversight—have exposed deep systemic weaknesses. Thousands of learners were left hungry due to financial mismanagement and lack of accountability. 'A full review is essential to ensure that provinces prioritise both value for money and nutritional quality. This programme is a lifeline for over 9 million children across South Africa. In KZN alone, it supports over 2 million learners daily. 'We cannot allow incompetence or corruption to undermine this critical intervention. Improved models must include stricter supplier vetting, real-time monitoring, and decentralised decision-making where appropriate. The goal must be to ensure that every child receives a meal—every day—without delay, waste, or abuse. We will support and monitor this process closely,' he concluded. THE MERCURY
Daily Maverick
04-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Maverick
Back to basics: SA delays mandatory Coding and Robotics in schools
Despite growing global emphasis on digital skills, South Africa's Department of Basic Education has confirmed that Coding and Robotics will not become compulsory subjects in the near future. Instead, the department will focus on improving literacy and numeracy in the early grades, citing serious systemic challenges, limited resources, and widespread foundational learning deficits. The national Department of Basic Education has indicated that Coding and Robotics will not become compulsory subjects in schools in the near future. According to its updated Annual Performance Plan for 2025/26, the introduction of these subjects will be gradually implemented depending on available resources and the preparedness of the schooling system. While the Annual Performance Plan recognises the importance of these subjects for developing essential skills, it emphasises that the department's primary focus remains on enhancing literacy and numeracy in the early grades (R to 3). The plan highlights that if learners are unable to read with comprehension and perform basic arithmetic by Grade 4, they will encounter major difficulties when studying STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, including Coding and Robotics. Therefore, the limited resources must first be directed toward improving foundational learning outcomes before expanding the rollout of Coding and Robotics. In a parliamentary response from September 2024, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube explained that the department planned to introduce Coding and Robotics in grades R, 1, 2, and 3 starting in 2025, subject to internal approval processes. Lukhanyo Vangqa, Gwarube's spokesperson, said that many schools and provincial education departments currently lacked the necessary resources to fully implement Coding and Robotics as mandatory subjects for all learners. Annual Performance Plan He added that the Annual Performance Plan reflected the challenging decisions around resource allocation and prioritisation within the basic education sector, especially given budget constraints after years of austerity. Vangqa noted that successfully implementing Coding and Robotics required substantial resources, such as well-trained teachers, adequate learning materials, and reliable IT equipment. Given the current fiscal limitations, the sector must prioritise efforts to improve literacy and numeracy skills, which were the top priorities of the seventh administration. This focus was essential due to South Africa's low literacy and numeracy rates, which hindered learners' ability to engage with and excel in gateway subjects like Mathematics, Science, Technology, Accounting, Economics, and Coding and Robotics. South Africa continues to face a severe literacy and numeracy crisis, particularly in the foundational early grades. Recent studies reveal that about 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language, highlighting a critical gap in basic literacy skills essential for further learning. Numeracy skills are similarly weak, with South Africa ranking among the lowest performers in mathematics on international assessments such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, despite some progress over the past two decades. Education expert Professor Mary Metcalfe has stressed that tackling South Africa's literacy crisis from the early years is essential to strengthening the entire education system. She said addressing the country's literacy challenge from the foundation phase was fundamental to improving quality and efficiency across the system. The data available on foundational literacy showed not only that children were not reaching the levels of reading performance required by the curriculum for success in primary school, but also that persistent inequalities in the conditions under which children learned to read continued to entrench disparities in reading achievement and shape unequal learning pathways and life opportunities. Metcalfe said she supported the department's current approach of focusing on foundational literacy and numeracy in grades R to 3, and not further crowding the curriculum with Coding and Robotics. 'If we're going to address the massive national crisis of so many learners not being able to meet the minimum requirements of using reading for learning in Grade 4 — which has been shown in the department's systemic evaluation — we need to make sure that resources and teaching and learning time are focused on improving literacy and numeracy,' she said. Stalled by shortfalls The large-scale implementation of Coding and Robotics has been repeatedly delayed. These delays stem primarily from the scaling back or postponement of initially ambitious rollout plans, persistent infrastructural deficits in many schools (such as lack of computer labs and reliable internet), and the ongoing need for comprehensive teacher professional development to equip educators with the necessary skills to teach Coding and Robotics effectively. 'Literacy and digital skills must go hand in hand' Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has raised concerns about the delay in fully implementing Coding and Robotics as a mandatory subject in schools, due to the importance of preparing learners for the demands of the digital era. 'While foundational literacy and numeracy are crucial, our learners also need skills for the digital age so that they can be equipped with skills required by the new world of work,' he said. Makaneta added that a phased approach could work, but would need a clear timeline and plan for implementation. 'The department should prioritise building capacity and resources to support Coding and Robotics, ensuring all learners have access to these essential skills. Obviously most of the existing jobs will become obsolete,' he said. Equal Education Law Centre Attorney Ebrahiem Daniels acknowledged the importance of foundational skills while also cautioning against neglecting digital readiness in the curriculum. 'While we are not curriculum experts, we believe the department's prioritisation of foundational literacy and numeracy is critical in a context where 80% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning. These foundational skills are non-negotiable building blocks,' he said. Daniels said the department's decision highlighted fundamental tensions in the system as technology was advancing at an unprecedented pace, and there was a risk of creating a generation that was left behind in an increasingly digital world. 'Our view is that the challenge is not choosing between foundational skills and digital competency, but rather how we integrate both without compromising either. It is unfortunate that different aspects of our education system have to compete for limited resources, particularly because learners cannot afford for us to solve their challenges sequentially when the world demands we address them concurrently,' he said. DM
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Urgent talks to resolve KwaZulu-Natal Education Department's financial crisis
There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Basic Education and the KZN Department of Education about the provincial department's financial woes. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The Department of Basic Education has revealed that high-level engagements are taking place to address the crippling financial problems that have brought the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (DoE) to the brink of financial collapse. The office of the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, stated that there has been ongoing communication with the province, and discussions are underway to find workable solutions amid serious challenges. The minister's office addressed the issue following speculation and calls for the national government to intervene and stabilise the provincial department. The DA in the province and teacher unions have claimed that the department has collapsed financially. Recently, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal warned that the provincial DoE is spiralling into financial collapse, prompting urgent calls for intervention and possible administration under Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). When asked whether the minister intended to intervene, Lukhanyo Vangqa, the minister's spokesperson, said any decision to formally intervene in a province must be taken by the National Executive in accordance with the Constitution. No decision for the national government to undertake a formal intervention in respect of the KZN Provincial Government has been made by the National Executive to date. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He, however, said high-level engagements are ongoing to find a workable solution. 'Whatever decision the Minister of Basic Education makes regarding KZN must and will be in the best interests of all learners and educators in the province. The minister is still engaging with the province and will continue to consult with the Minister of Finance where necessary and appropriate in this regard.' 'The minister wishes to emphasise that the basic education sector as a whole is under serious financial strain. Last year, the minister mentioned that without additional funding, three provincial education departments are at risk of being unable to fund their budgets by 2026/2027, and those risks are now starting to materialise.' 'To resolve the financial constraints faced by KZN and other provinces, the minister believes that the government must adequately fund basic education as a top priority. Provinces need to do more to ensure that their existing education budgets are managed and spent effectively and efficiently,' he said. Sakhile Mngadi, the DA spokesperson on education in KZN, stated that the DoE's finances have been crippled by ballooning cost of employees (CoE) expenditure, which consumed a staggering 92% of its R62.99 billion budget for 2024/25. He noted that despite repeated warnings, the wage bill continues to rise unsustainably, leaving only 8% of the total budget for critical service delivery items, including infrastructure, learner support materials, and school meals. 'The DA views the situation as a full-blown constitutional and humanitarian crisis. The DoE has overcommitted its financial obligations, carrying over billions of rand in accruals from the 2024/25 financial year without lawful budgetary provision. These liabilities are now deferred to the 2025/26 budget, which is yet to be debated or approved by the KZN Legislature.' 'KZN's DoE has made financial promises it cannot legally fulfil. This is a flagrant violation of the PFMA. To make matters worse, the department has continued to mislead both the portfolio committee and the public. 'Repeated reassurances that service providers and personnel would be paid on time have proved to be false. Whether due to incompetence or deliberate deception, this is unacceptable,' he concluded. The DoE's spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, confirmed the engagements and said these have been initiated by MEC Sipho Hlomuka. THE MERCURY
