By AGISANANG SCUFF
25 August 2025- The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi has joined the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, provincial MECs, Heads of Departments, teacher unions, academia, School Governing Bodies, principals, and quality assurance bodies such as Umalusi at the G20 National Basic Education Indaba held in Cape Town’s Century City Conference Centre on 25 August 2025.
Motsumi said held under the theme: “Taking the G20 to the People”, the Indaba is a critical platform to consolidate actions and intentions that will take the education sector forward and create a lasting impact in shaping foundational learning, professional teacher development, and an inclusive system that serves every learner and teacher.
“Delegates engaged in robust, thought-provoking conversations on revisiting and realigning teacher training and development to empower teachers in the Early Childhood Development, GET, and FET phases with the tools and knowledge required for modern classrooms.
“Redesigning pedagogy for South Africa’s multicultural and multilingual context moving beyond English as the sole language of instruction. Equality in education to address challenges of rural and under-resourced schools where there is an absence and whether or not it translates to cognitive poverty,” she said.
Motsumi further said this includes future-focused education that explores the role of Artificial Intelligence, integration of e-assessment tools, and equipping teachers and learners to respond to climate change and a fast-changing global environment.
She added that she welcomes the platform as an opportunity to strengthen the province’s education priorities.
“I am pleased that we are advancing to conversations that shape both the teacher and learner at a national level. From a provincial level, as the North West province we will continue aligning our strategies to national priorities while ensuring that the unique challenges of learners and teachers in the province are addressed.
“I am pleased that the discourse has also moved toward the robust inclusion of technology in our pedagogy where the gap is bridged between learners in urban and rural areas for both the teacher and the learner in the classroom,” said Motsumi.
She said the 20th Indaba reaffirms the collective commitment of national and provincial education leaders and stakeholders to work collaboratively towards an education system that is resilient, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the 21st century.
The Guardian 