By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider 

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), is a large scale international survey which was established and led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which collects detailed outlines and data from teachers and leading educators on various school working conditions, learning environments and teaching practices. 

The South African Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, spoke at TALIS and has highlighted the fact that South Africa is the only country to participate in TALIS twice, being in 2018 and in 2024.  

Minister Gwarube had also noted and acknowledged incidents of violence within schools but gave assurance that this will not be an everlasting issue. “We signed a safer schools protocol with the South African Police Service earlier this year, and rollout has begun in crime hotspot areas such as Inanda Township in KwaZulu-Natal, Emfuleni and Manenberg in Western Cape, and uMata and Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape” said Minister Gwarube. 

The Minister also highlighted that South Africa had the youngest teacher demographic globally, with the average teacher age dropping from 43 to 41 in 2024, as the OECD average rose to 45. 

The Minister also added 62% of South African teachers had reported that they chose education as their first-choice career, which went up from 49% in 2018.

 Minister Gwarube mentioned that although 62% of educators consist of females only 32% of them are  principals. “Despite this leadership gender gap, South Africa is performing above the OECD average of 15% for female school principals” said Gwarube.

 Gwarube emphasised the importance of mother tongue-based bilingual education (MTbBE), which is established to help teachers work more effectively in multicultural and multilingual classrooms.

 “In 2025, the MTbBe programme will extend mother tongue instruction beyond Grade 3 into Grade 4, starting with mathematics and natural science and technology.” said Minister Gwarube. 

“A mandate task has been given to the newly operational National Education and Training council to develop tools and systems to ensure teachers are not overburdened by administrative tasks” said Gwarube in regards to teachers getting less administrative work to do, in order to give their fullest attention towards educating learners.