DBE briefing on P20 Youth Parliament referrals: economic growth, industrialisation, employment, youth engagement, social inclusion and education

Video The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education was briefed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on the referrals from the 2025 P20 Youth Parliament, focusing on economic growth, industrialisation, employment, youth engagement, social inclusion and education. The Chairperson opened the meeting by emphasising the importance of young people understanding the consequences of patriarchy and gender-based violence (GBV), stressing that the Department had a crucial role in cultivating activism against GBV through the school curriculum, campaigns and awareness programmes. She underscored that Parliament did not convene such platforms merely for discussion, but expected government departments to take the resolutions seriously and establish mechanisms to monitor implementation. The Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) presented its analysis of the Youth Parliament recommendations, identifying three broad areas relevant to the Committee: inclusive growth, industrialisation and employment; social inclusion; and access to education. The FFC noted that basic education provided the foundation for developing skills required for economic participation, but cautioned that increased investment in education and skills development alone was insufficient to address youth unemployment, as the challenge also concerned the economy's capacity to absorb skilled entrants. The Commission highlighted concerns about school attrition, disparities in learner transport and digital connectivity, and the need for strengthened monitoring and evaluation linked to financial management and outcomes. The National Planning Commission (NPC) presented its assessment, emphasising that youth issues were cross-cutting and required coordination across multiple departments. The NPC supported the FFC's diagnostic on high youth unemployment, noting the particular vulnerability of young women. It cautioned that repeatedly educating and training young people without creating employment pathways could become a frustrating experience and stressed the importance of recognising the informal economy as a source of employment. The NPC recommended institutional reforms to improve coordination, stronger partnerships between the state and private sector, and closer alignment between Basic Education and Higher Education and Training to avoid duplication and inefficient use of limited resources. The DBE presented its response to the resolutions, focusing on bullying, GBV and learner pregnancy. The Department indicated that these issues were already being addressed through work in progress, including comprehensive sexuality education, teacher development programmes, and co-curricular initiatives. It reported on interventions such as dialogues on early unintended pregnancy, youth-led initiatives, and the strengthening of school-based support teams. The Department also addressed cyberbullying, sexual grooming and human trafficking through partnerships with relevant organisations, and committed to providing the Committee with implementation reports across provinces. During the discussion, Members raised several concerns about the implementation of the Youth Parliament recommendations. One Member questioned whether the school curriculum was adequately aligned with the country's economic trajectory and development aspirations, noting the absence of research demonstrating how the curriculum responded to short-, medium- and long-term economic goals. Another Member expressed concern about school safety, citing recent violent incidents and deaths at schools, and questioned how the Department could ensure peace within schooling environments and prevent weapons and drugs from entering schools. Members also raised issues about the lack of proper targeting in interventions, the absence of costed implementation plans with clear timeframes and minimum standards, and inadequate funding modalities to support implementation. Several Members emphasised that reach was not equivalent to impact, and that the Department needed to focus on implementation fidelity and scientifically measurable outputs rather than simply presenting rhetoric, frameworks and plans. Concerns were expressed about the absence of national baselines with associated budgets, the lack of time-bound targets and verified outcome data, and the need for a consolidated implementation matrix. Members also questioned the functionality of school-based support teams, noting that their effectiveness was asserted rather than measured, and called for more detailed information on caseloads, staffing norms, referral turnaround times and case-closure rates. On learner transport, a Member noted the substantial variation between provinces in the provision of free scholar transport and asked what plans the Department had to address these inconsistencies. Another Member raised the issue of teacher skills and professional development, questioning whether the available teacher information systems could be used to inform a more comprehensive skills audit. The issue of school safety hotspots was also raised, with a Member asking how many schools had been identified as hotspots for GBV and what additional resources had been allocated to those schools. The Chairperson concluded the meeting by noting that the DBE's response addressed the 27 resolutions adopted by the National Council of Provinces following the Youth and Women's Parliaments, and that the Committee had noted the presentations, responses and commitments made. The Committee undertook to follow up on outstanding matters with the Department.