Cape Town — President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the need to strengthen South Africa’s education foundations while adapting to rapid technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in order to see improvements.
Speaking at the first Basic Education Lekgotla under the Government of National Unity (GNU), he stressed the importance of early childhood development, literacy, and numeracy in building a resilient education system.
He cited the World Bank’s findings that education was one of three sectors with the potential to drive inclusive growth and transform South Africa into a high-income country.
[WATCH] President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government made a mistake by failing to start with early childhood development 30 years ago. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/HJ0iSBkob4
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 27, 2025
Although the 2024 matric class achieved the country’s highest-ever pass rate, he warned that weak early education remains a major concern. Studies show that over 80% of Grade 4 learners struggle with reading comprehension in their home language, while South Africa lags in international maths and science rankings.
“Not having mastered basic skills in reading and maths at foundation level sets the tone for how a learner will perform in high school and beyond,” he said.
Ramaphosa acknowleged the importance of AI and its rapid growth. He said ChatGPT has revolutionised the education system and said it was important for the education system to evolve with the new technology, stressing the importance of the two to complement each other.
“There is no substitute for solid foundational education led by committed and capable educators,” he said.
The president also called for a shift in how vocational education is perceived, saying it must be seen as an attractive career path rather than a fallback option. He pointed to Germany, where nearly half the workforce has vocational qualifications, compared to only 17% with university degrees.
[WATCH] “There are those who’ve already reached high levels of being equal, and they believe we are all equal… we are not.” President Cyril Ramaphosa tells the Basic Education Sector Lekgotla that the notion of equality is becoming a big issue of contention. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/rgwX2m5MIJ
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 27, 2025
“As we prepare young people for employment, we must also support pathways for them to self-employment,” he said, urging greater focus on entrepreneurship and technical education.
Raamphosa said he was looking forward to the outcomes of this year’s lekgotla, and he hoped the Basic Education Sector would bring together people in education to provide a better future for learners in South Africa.
“In other words, we have in this room the full complement of those who have it within their means to transform the basic education landscape for the better and, most importantly, for the future,” he said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
