DBE 'starting to become a well-oiled machine', Gwarube tells MPs

CAPE TOWN - Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said that her department was starting to become a "well-oiled machine", listing a number of successes.

Gwarube on Wednesday noted her department’s successes like the successful incorporation of early childhood development into the Department of Basic Education, as well as improving matric results.

Gwarube and her department on Wednesday briefed the portfolio committee on basic education on its annual report and the department’s performance.

Siviwe Gwarube has been minister for just over three months, but she said there were some clear successes in her department over the last year.

She said that improving matric results was one important metric.

"Some of the successes we saw an unprecedented improvement of the NSC results in the last year, which set at a national level in 2023 sitting at 82.9%, which was an improvement from the 80% in the previous year."

Gwarube said that while things like infrastructure remained a challenge, things were looking up in the sector.

"So firstly, I think we are getting our systems right. Really we are starting to become a well-oiled machine."

Gwarube and the department said that budget cuts remained a problem but this affected government across the board.