Overview
- In her SONA reply, the basic education minister presented the GNU as a cross‑party vehicle to stabilise the country, grow the economy and create jobs, aligning the DA’s participation with its values.
- She reported the class of 2025 achieved an 88% matric pass rate, with more than 60% of bachelor passes from no‑fee schools.
- The Bana Pele registration drive closed 2025 with over 13,000 ECD centres on the books, which government says now serve about 1.3 million children.
- Government has allocated R10 billion over three years for ECD, lifted the subsidy to R24 per child per day and added 150,000 children in 2025, with school nutrition to be included at ECD centres.
- A nearly R500 million outcomes‑based fund targets over 100,000 new ECD spaces in KwaZulu‑Natal, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, while provinces must submit financial recovery plans to protect classrooms as private and philanthropic partners bolster facilities and learning tools.