PRETORIA – Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube yesterday announced that the government will develop guidelines on screen time for children aged two to six, marking a significant step in the department's increased focus on early childhood development (ECD). This initiative aims to ensure young children are developmentally on track before entering primary school.
During her budget speech to parliament, Minister Gwarube highlighted that "emerging international evidence points to developmental risks from excessive screen exposure in early childhood." According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, while educational digital media can support learning, prolonged non-educational and solo screen use is linked to delays in language, cognition, and fine motor control development, as well as poorer sleep and reduced pretend play and reading.
In addition to the screen time guidelines, officials are also reviewing the 2004 white paper on e-education and formulating guidance on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in classrooms. The minister articulated the department's philosophy on AI, stating, "Our approach is clear: the machine may assist, but the teacher must decide; the learner must think and the system must protect trust."
These plans are part of a broader series of government interventions designed to improve the well-being of young children. The education department has successfully registered over 13,300 ECD centres, providing 1.2 million children access to structured programs that will better prepare them for schooling. Furthermore, a new meal program for children in ECD centres is set to be piloted in the Eastern Cape. This initiative directly addresses findings from the "Thrive by Five" report, which indicated that 7% of South Africa’s children suffer from stunting due to malnutrition.
Despite Minister Gwarube's efforts to position investments in ECD as crucial for the nation's prosperity, her department has faced financial challenges. A significant R800 million has been redirected from the ECD grant to cover a funding shortfall for the appointment of Grade R teachers. This redirection became necessary after the Treasury failed to provide the full R10 billion required over the medium-term expenditure framework for the recent extension of mandatory schooling to Grade R. "This is not ideal, but doing nothing would be worse," the minister conceded.
Further reforms include plans to reduce the administrative burden on teachers and a review of the matric pass rate ranking system. The department proposes moving beyond a sole focus on the overall pass rate to a "basket of indicators." This new approach will include pass rates for critical subjects such as maths, accounting, and physical science, alongside the bachelor pass rate, which is essential for university admission.
Finally, the minister announced an independent investigation into the new foundation phase catalogue, which lists approved textbooks for schools. This probe follows scrutiny after reports revealed that the largest share of textbook orders went to a supplier with no prior publishing experience.
