Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, and Finland’s Minister of Education, Mr Anders Adlercreutz, are visiting Tamboerskloof Primary School in the Western Cape on 17 August 2026. The visit includes a bilateral meeting focused on strengthening South Africa–Finland cooperation in education, with discussions highlighting shared priorities around Early Childhood Development, foundational learning, teacher development and skills development. Minister Gwarube highlights South Africa’s efforts to strengthen the foundations of learning, particularly through expanding access to quality early childhood education and improving learning outcomes from the earliest years. Minister Adlercreutz highlights the growing challenge of maintaining learners’ ability to concentrate in an increasingly digitalised world. He emphasises the role of schools in helping young people develop the ability to slow down, tolerate boredom and sustain concentration, noting Finland’s recent measures to regulate the use of mobile phones in schools. The engagement provides an opportunity for both countries to share experiences, identify areas of common interest and explore opportunities for continued collaboration in strengthening education systems. #GovZAUpdates #QualityEducation #SchoolVisit #ECD