March 3, 2025 – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to strengthen early childhood learning is greatly appreciated and a crucial step toward building a resilient and future-ready education system in South Africa. At the 2025 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, he emphasized the urgent need to improve foundational skills in reading and mathematics—highlighting alarming literacy and numeracy statistics that demand immediate action.
President Ramaphosa recognized the critical role of early childhood development: “It is a strong social equaliser, with children from disadvantaged families benefiting most.” As South Africa leads the G20 under the theme of “solidarity, equality, and sustainability,” there is a unique opportunity to champion global action on foundational learning. Investing in strong early learning systems will not only shape the future of South Africa but also set a powerful precedent for international education priorities.