Speaking Notes: Honourable STD Louw
Friday, 28 February 2025
Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Members,
The African National Congress (ANC) welcomes this debate at a decisive moment for South Africa- a moment that will determine not only the pace of our economic recovery but also the prospects of our youth and the strength of our nation. As we assess the state of our education system, we do so with a clear commitment to closing institutional gaps and strengthening oversight so that our system can deliver on its constitutional and developmental mandate. The ANC has consistently affirmed that education remains the most powerful instrument for liberation, economic advancement, and nation-building. It is on this foundation that we engage this important discussion.
A central challenge facing our system is the state of foundational learning. Too many children begin their education without adequate cognitive preparation, nutrition, or early learning support. Strengthening Early Childhood Development is therefore not just desirable it is essential to breaking cycles of poverty and setting children on a path toward meaningful opportunity. If the earliest stage is weak, every stage that follows is compromised. The ANC remains firm that ECD must receive targeted investment, professionalisation, and integrated support if we are to improve long-term educational outcomes.
Another urgent concern is the persistent underperformance in STEM subjects. A competitive, inclusive economy depends on learners equipped with science, technology, and mathematics skills. Without strengthening these areas, our economic transformation agenda will continue to be constrained. We must expand teacher development programmes, upgrade laboratories and digital resources, and ensure that curriculum reforms are implemented effectively. This is not a sectoral issue it is a national priority that speaks directly to growth, innovation, and future employment.
Honourable Members, gender equality in education demands sustained intervention. Although access to schooling has improved, many girls still face barriers that undermine their participation and achievement including unsafe school environments, limited sanitary dignity support, and restricted pathways into critical subjects. Addressing gender inequality is fundamental to development. Empowering the girl child strengthens families, communities, and the country. Our oversight and policy actions must ensure that every girl is safe, supported, and encouraged to pursue opportunities across the full spectrum of the curriculum.
As Parliamentarians, we carry the responsibility to ensure that the education system functions effectively and adheres to constitutional obligations. This includes exercising robust oversight of reforms to the National Senior Certificate minimum pass requirements. Oversight must be purposeful, evidence-driven, and oriented toward strengthening institutions. It is not about punishment; it is about ensuring delivery. When oversight is exercised consistently and constructively, implementation improves, inefficiencies are addressed, and learners are supported rather than penalised. We must deepen monitoring mechanisms, ensure policy alignment, and demand accountability at all levels from national departments to school governing bodies to guarantee that any changes in the NSC policy advance equity and educational quality.
A capable and developmental education system requires stable and strategic investment. Schools need skilled educators, safe infrastructure, digital access, and learner support services that address social and academic needs. Progressive budgeting must be protected so that historically disadvantaged communities receive the resources required to overcome inequality. Education should never be viewed as a cost it is a long-term investment in South Africa’s social and economic resilience. The ANC remains committed to ensuring that allocations reflect this priority.
Transformation is sustainable only when society participates actively. Learners, parents, teachers, unions, and civil society are co-producers of educational outcomes. When communities are meaningfully involved, accountability is strengthened, and policy becomes more responsive. This principle is critical in the context of NSC reforms: ongoing consultation ensures that minimum pass requirements are implemented fairly, reflect the realities of learners, and do not exacerbate inequality.
Education is not only about throughput rates or statistics; it is about the society we seek to build. A developmental, values-based education system cultivates ethical leadership, social responsibility, respect, and unity. These values are essential to sustaining democracy and advancing national cohesion. We must nurture young people who are confident, critically engaged, and future-focused young people who can drive innovation and uphold the principles of our Constitution.
Honourable Members, the work before us is fundamentally about building foundations for future generations. As Mwalimu Julius Nyerere reminds us: “While others search for wealth and power, we in Africa must lay firm foundations – for without strong foundations, nothing lasting can be built.” Strengthened oversight, inclusive participation, strategic investment, and a values-driven commitment to transformative education are the tools that will allow us to lay those firm foundations. Through them, we can ensure that every learner benefits from NSC reforms, that our schools are strengthened, and that our nation moves forward with confidence and purpose.
I thank you.