South Africa wants better school results. Ramaphosa says start with teachers
PRETORIA — President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for greater investment in South Africa’s teachers, arguing that improving classrooms will require more than curriculum reforms as government pushes ahead with plans for universal early childhood development and stronger literacy and numeracy outcomes.
Speaking ahead of World Teachers’ Day on 5 October, Ramaphosa said teachers remain central to government’s efforts to improve basic education and prepare young South Africans for a changing economy.
The President’s intervention comes as South Africa continues to confront poor learning outcomes despite spending a substantial share of public resources on education.
Ramaphosa said government must invest in teachers’ professional development, improve their working conditions and provide the resources required for them to teach effectively. He also called for educators to be equipped to use new technologies, including artificial intelligence, as these increasingly enter classrooms and workplaces.
The focus on teachers is particularly important because South Africa’s education challenge increasingly centres on what children are able to learn in the earliest years of schooling.
Government has identified foundational literacy and numeracy as a priority after international assessments exposed severe weaknesses in reading. South Africa finished last among the 57 countries assessed in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, with 81% of Grade 4 learners unable to read for meaning in any language.
That means the debate about teacher investment extends beyond salaries or staffing numbers. It includes whether educators receive sufficient training, classroom support, teaching materials and development to help children master reading and mathematics before learning gaps become more difficult to reverse.
Ramaphosa said teachers also have an increasingly important role in helping young people navigate rapid technological change.
“As we enter the age of artificial intelligence, our teachers must be equipped to prepare learners for a changing world of work,” he said. The challenge is unevenly distributed across South Africa. Schools in poorer and rural communities frequently operate with fewer resources and greater infrastructure constraints, while teachers may have to manage overcrowded classrooms and learners facing significant socioeconomic difficulties. Government is simultaneously expanding its ambitions for early learning.
Ramaphosa has committed the state to achieving universal access to early childhood development for children from birth to five years old, with ECD increasingly being treated as part of the country’s education system rather than primarily as a social welfare service. The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act has also made Grade R compulsory, extending the state’s responsibility for ensuring children enter formal schooling earlier.
Those reforms increase the importance of having enough appropriately trained educators to support younger children.
South Africa must also manage the changing age profile of its teaching workforce. Government has previously warned that significant numbers of teachers are approaching retirement, creating pressure to attract and prepare a new generation of educators while retaining experienced staff.
Ramaphosa said teachers should receive recognition not only for academic instruction but for the broader role they play in communities, particularly in supporting children dealing with poverty, violence and other social pressures.
His call places teacher development at the centre of a much bigger test for the education system.
South Africa has introduced curriculum changes, expanded early childhood education and invested heavily in schools. But whether those reforms translate into children who can read, calculate and eventually compete in a technology-driven economy will still depend heavily on what happens between a teacher and a learner inside the classroom.
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