It is one of the most important ministerial portfolios and no individual has come away from it covered in glory. However, in many respects, the minister seems to be getting several things right.
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube held the attention of the room at the annual ministerial breakfast for the crème de la crème of the Class of 2025, where South Africa's best-performing matriculants were honoured before the official release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results.
"In the pursuit of excellence, in the act of giving your best, there is dignity, purpose and yes, happiness," she said, capturing the learners' late nights, setbacks and discipline.
She also paid tribute to parents for their sacrifices and thanked teachers for their commitment amid systemic strains.
Later that evening, Gwarube announced a record national pass rate of 88% for the NSC exams. For the first time, the atmosphere wasn't dampened by "bad news" from struggling regions. Every one of the 75 school districts in the country achieved a pass rate of 80% or higher, creating a sense of national achievement rather than the usual disparity between richer and poorer provinces.
Having held the reins for 18 months, Gwarube has secured visible gains for the Department of Basic Education, most notably the record matric pass rate and successfully launching phase 5 of the Basic Education Employment Initiative, which placed 200,000 young people in...
