OPINION: South Africa cannot afford to prevaricate when it comes to fixing schooling. The latest Stats SA figures are stark: overall unemployment has climbed to 33.6%, with youth unemployment at 47.4%. The Education Desk has launched to cover the schooling issues that can make a difference. We know the remedies start not at the end of schooling, but during the foundational years — and earlier, in Early Childhood Development. Join us on this journey.
Welcome to the launch edition of The Education Desk.
For the past weeks, we have been laying the foundation for our virtual newsroom dedicated to elevating education journalism and driving change in South Africa’s schools.
The challenges are vast. Decades into democracy, deep dysfunction remains entrenched, widening the gap between well-resourced schools and the struggling majority in under-served communities. At the same time, public-interest journalism has taken a knock as newsrooms have been gutted by a broken market model, budget cuts, and shrinking reporting teams, leaving critical issues underreported.
EdDesk exists to fill the void. Supported by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation, our focused, boots-on-the-ground team seeks accountability and exposes classroom realities, with a core focus on the foundational years (Grades R to 3) during our pilot phase. While based in the major metros, our reporting stretches across provinces and rural communities to ensure no classroom is left in the dark. Our publication reach is wide, through valued partner outlets and on our website.
We Want to Hear From You
Our mission is urgent, but real accountability requires community. Whether you are a learner, educator, parent, civic activist, researcher, or policymaker: get in touch. Tell us what is happening on the ground, what challenges need spotlighting, and what solutions are working. Every lost school term risks another lost generation — let’s show up, hold power accountable, and get to work.
Check out some of our launch stories, including exclusive interviews and a powerful investigation by Gcina Ntsaluba, Zipho Ndwayana, and Rod Amner into a multi-million Rand digital tablet school project in the Eastern Cape that has gone awry.
Janet Heard
Editor
