Act now, says Ramaphosa as he tasks ministers to curb scholar transport horrors

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has directed Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and her Transport counterpart Barbara Creecy to lead efforts in exploring ways to prevent loss of life through scholar transport.

He made the announcement when he delivered a keynote address at the three-day 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on Wednesday.

The announcement came in the wake of the deaths of 12 learners who were killed in a horror crash when the minibus taxi they were travelling in collided with an oncoming truck on Monday. 

Ramaphosa said under normal circumstances, children are not meant to be buried by their parents; rather, children, once they are old enough, are the ones who should bury their parents.

"We need to act now, and we need to act together to ensure that scholar transport is safe and reliable, and accept that young lives are put at risk as they seek the growth and enrichment that education provides," he urged.

Ramaphosa also raised concerns about the state of education in South Africa, citing alarming statistics regarding children's literacy and numeracy comprehension.

He highlighted the critical necessity for learners to grasp the meaning behind what they read, not just in a classroom setting but in real-world situations.

"During my recent visit to the OR Tambo International Airport, I interacted with learners and asked them a few questions. I also asked, 'do you know the population of your own province or country?'" he asked rhetorically, driving home the importance of understanding numerical data beyond the confines of traditional education.

"You can’t manage what you cannot count," he added, urging educators to widen their teaching scope.

He also used the address to commend  Gwarube for achieving a historic milestone with the recent National Senior Certificate (NSC) results.

"Last year, 88% of learners attained the NSC. Even more encouraging is that over the past decade, the education sector has doubled the number of learners qualifying for admission to Bachelor's studies. This is a silent revolution, which shows that we have entered what is referred to as the holy grey," said Ramaphosa. 

In her address on Tuesday, Gwarube  underscored the importance of early childhood development (ECD) across the board, efforts to strengthen literacy and numeracy across all schooling phases, with particular emphasis on the foundation phase (grades R to 3), and improvements in access to and quality of inclusive education.

She said part of the three-day gathering is aimed at committing government and private partnership efforts to tackling some of the issues.

"Every child deserves a classroom where they feel protected, supported, and ready to learn. With zero tolerance for violence and abuse, comprehensive school-based health and nutrition programmes, mental health and psychosocial support for learners and educators, and inclusive environments where every child, including those with disabilities, feels valued and secure," said Gwarube.

Cape Times