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Ministers will assess progress since the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2024) commitment to end learning poverty within a decade, alongside the declarations from last year’s Continental Conference on Education in Mauritania. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Education department failed to build or renovate schools in four provinces in 2023-24 financial year

Education department failed to build or renovate schools in four provinces in 2023-44 financial year

The general public is most often unaware of certain manipulations that enable some schools to claim their 100% pass rate records and the prestige that comes along with it. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Class of 2020 produces ‘quality passes’ — Motshekga

The minister of basic education released the 2020 matric results on Monday, announcing that the overall pass rate has declined from 2019

The results of learners implicated in the leak of the two papers in the 2020 matric examination and the results of those learners involved in “group copying” will be blocked while investigations continue.

Leaked papers may lead to learners losing their matric certificates

Umalusi has approved the release of the 2020 matric results saying that it did not find systemic irregularities that compromised the exam

Strict Covid protocols are in place for the exams, with special provision made for those who test positive.

Department of basic education edges closer to releasing matric results

The basic education department has said that it is almost done with the marking process and that the capturing of marks is in progress.

A record 98.31% of Grade 12 learners passed the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations administered by the Independent Examinations Board

‘Decision not to rewrite has caused a crisis,’ says basic education head

The high court has set aside the decision by the department and education quality assurer Umalusi that matrics would have to rewrite two subject leaked just before the matric exams

Thousands of jubilant matriculants will be celebrating the end of 12 years of secondary schooling.

Matric results may be withheld if rewrite decision is set aside

The Pretoria high court will rule tomorrow on the case of a rewrite of two matric exam papers that were leaked, after learners and a teachers union challenged the decision in court

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. (Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Sadtu says Motshekga bowed to pressure from Umalusi to allow rewrite

The teachers union and several learners will appear before the Pretoria high court on Thursday, where they will ask that Motshekga’s decision for a national rewrite of two leaked…

Strict Covid protocols are in place for the exams, with special provision made for those who test positive.

Testing times for grade 12 learners

Strict Covid protocols are in place for the exams, with special provision made for those who test positive

Grade 11 learner ( who wish to remain anonymous) from Onkgopotse Tiro Combine School has resorted in assisting in building his mother’s new home to keep busy and to learn in order to prepare himself for a civil engeneering course that he wants to persue when he finished school. Without any explanation from his school, he has been sitting at home since the beggining of the lockdown even though other learners from different schools have started attending. (Oupa Nkosi)

Farmworkers’ children forgotten

They have been unable to return to their school in North West because the hostel is closed

Equal Education has criticised last week’s medium term budget policy statement for what it said was a failure to provide adequate funding to the education sector. (Madelene Cronje)

Government must give a helping hand to learners who drop out

We cannot simply accept that 75 000 young people or more have dropped out of school this year and that life continues as normal — we need to give them opportunities

Most of Gauteng and Western Cape schools are in Covid-19 hotspots.

Most Gauteng, Western Cape schools in hotspots

Out of more than 25 000 schools in the country, 8 047 were in hotspots and 6 995 of these were public schools. And most of Gauteng’s and the Western Cape’s schools are in hotspots

By far the greatest share of schools lacking sanitation is in the Eastern Cape, where 1 478 schools need emergency sanitation. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

DBE: 95% of schools to open on June 8

After a week’s delay, the basic education minister said the majority of schools are ready to open, but added that ‘the golden rule is, there will be no school that will resume,…

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.

Schools: Confusion rather than clarity and confidence reign

The way in which Angie Motshekga has handled the reopening of schools has caused many people to lose confidence in her

Protests by local suppliers have delayed PPE delivery, which according to the DBE, is one of the reasons the reopening of schools has been pushed back until June 8

‘Tenderpreneurs’ block the delivery of protective equipment to schools

Protests by local suppliers have delayed PPE delivery, which according to the DBE, is one of the reasons the reopening of schools has been pushed back until June 8

On Sunday, the Eastern Cape education department’s superintendent-general, Themba Konjane, issued an instruction that grades 3, 6, 11 and certain groups of learners in special needs schools will only return to school on July 20.
(Madelene Cronjé)

Going back to school in the pandemic: ‘We are going to live on prayer’

With schools set to reopen as the lockdown eases, teachers say too few classrooms, dodgy toilets and inadequate water make it difficult to teach safely

The Free State department of education has confirmed that it had to shut schools in the Xhariep district after 100 pupils were infected with influenza B and human rhinovirus.

Plan in place to recover ‘lost’ school days

Autumn matric camps cancelled as the actions of some provinces accused of being ‘tantamount to treason’ for wanting to keep them open

South Africa to pioneer school steroid tests

South Africa to pioneer school steroid tests

From next year, high school athletes may start being policed and punished for using banned steroids.

Comedian Loyiso Gola.

New DG for basic education department

The department announced on Thursday that Mathanzima Mweli had been appointed as DG after a "rigorous interview and vetting process".