Siviwe Gwarube Boosts Early Childhood Development With R1.7 Billion Grant

Siviwe Gwarube Boosts Early Childhood Development With R1.7 Billion Grant

  • The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has increased the Early Childhood Development grant allocation
  • She said that the allocation must address education-related issues among children at the primary level
  • South Africans had mixed feelings about the announcement asd some were happy and others were dissatisfied

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues, including health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa, during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

Siviwe Gwarube said that Treasury has allocated over R1 billion to ECD
Siviwe Gwarube said more than R1 billion was allocated to Early Childhood Development. Image: Jeffrey Abrahams/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG — South Africans had mixed reactions when the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, increased the grant allocation for Early Childhood Development.

How much did Grawube allocate to ECD?

According to SABC News, Gwarube increased the allocation to Early Childhood Development to R1.7 billion. She spoke when tabling the department's budget for the 2025/26 financial year in Parliament. The National Treasury allocated R35 billion to the department.

Gwarube said that over R30 million has been allocated for the ECD nutrition pilot, and R162 million has been set aside for ECD infrastructure. She said the government's goal is to ensure that every child enters Grade R. The department's strategy focuses on ensuring that children read and calculate before the age of 10.

Stories about education in South Africa

In January, the president of Build One SA, Mmusi Maimane, called on the government to increase the pass mark from 30% to 50% to increase learners' chances of getting employment. Maimane bemoaned the pass mark and said that the education system must ensure that a child's economic circumstances do not determine the quality.

Learners in over 540 schools in Limpopo were forced to use pit toilets. The Department of Basic Education reportedly assisted the schools with the introduction of mobile toilets meant to stop children from relying on pit latrines.

Siviwe Gwarube said millions have been allocatedfor ECD
Siviwe Gwarube recently delivered the budget vote for the department. Image: Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on Facebook debated the allocation.

Those who agreed

MamaDee Mary said:

"Well done, Minister."

Nomusa Mfeka said:

"Great job."

Phillip Phill Cool Mosiapoa said:

"Congratulations, Minister."

Those who did not agree

Gloria Nobuhle asked:

"How about the absorption and benefits of Grade R teachers? It's painfully heartbreaking. They are earning peanuts. Please be fair to grade R educators."

Phume Nomfundo asked:

"What about those teachers who are qualified for teaching those learners to count up to 1-0? They earn peanuts. No one talks about them."

Mila Makgamatha said:

"I see only nutrition and infrastructure. Nothing about teachers' working conditions."

Thabo Bicor Mafologela asked:

"Are they still teaching our kids about frogs, locusts, and flowers while the Chinese kids do robotics, AI, and coding?"

Siviwe Gwarube weighs in on GBV

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Gwarube said the country is nowhere near solving Gender-Based Violence. She spoke after delivering the Uyinene Mrwetyana Memorial Lecture in the Eastern Cape.

She said that six years after Mrwetyana was killed in the Western Cape, the country is nowhere near being able to solve gender-based violence. She said the country must be proactive in fighting GBV.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena joined Briefly News in 2023 and is a Current Affairs writer. He has a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON. He joined Daily Sun, where he worked for 4 years covering politics, crime, entertainment, current affairs, policy, governance and art. He was also a sub-editor and journalist for Capricorn Post before joining Vutivi Business News in 2020, where he covered small business news policy and governance, analysis and profiles. Tebogo passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative Email: tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za