Friday, 23 May

Introduction of the Report

Honourable House Chairperson

Honourable Members

I rise to table the report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on its oversight visit to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Education Department, conducted from 23 to 28 February 2025.

The oversight visit sought to monitor the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year, focusing on infrastructure readiness, learner admission, curriculum rollout, teacher development, security and safety among other critical areas in the sector.

As the Portfolio Committee, we were elated with the incredible strides made to expand educational opportunities to all, including learners with disabilities and special needs. Concerted efforts must be made to protect and support special needs schools and ensure that our education is inclusive of our learners’ diverse needs, and that no learner is left behind.

We were also encouraged by progress in the integration of ICT and digital learning platforms, which are integral in ensuring that our learners can keep up and compete in our ever-evolving and developing global society.

Honourable Members,

Education is a fundamental human right that should be accessible to all our learners, irrespective of their disabilities, race and socioeconomic background. We must continue to address barriers that undermine our efforts to provide equitable and quality education.

To this end, the Committee makes key recommendations, including urgency in fast-tracking the eradication of pit latrines, filling of vacant posts, expanding access to scholar transport and the school nutrition program and ensuring adequate resources for early childhood development.

Honourable Member,

We must all be preoccupied with building our shared future through investing in our learners as the custodians of that future. Education is a public good, and in the spirit of Ubuntu, it is our collective responsibility to act in the interest of our nation’s children.

Through these recommendations, we envisage that we will take greater leaps and bounds in ensuring inclusive education and that all learners are exposed to safe and conducive learning environments.

We move that this report be considered.

Thank you.