Foundation Phase Catalogue Suspension

South African publishers have welcomed Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube’s decision to maintain the suspension of the new national catalogue for Grades 1 to 3 while legal and procurement concerns are addressed.

The Foundation Phase catalogue suspension means provincial education departments and qualifying schools will continue using the existing catalogue of previously approved learning and teaching materials when placing orders for the 2027 academic year.

The Department of Basic Education says the interim arrangement will protect learners from textbook delays while the contested new catalogue undergoes legal verification and possible rectification.

Publishers support Gwarube’s decision

The publishing sector welcomed the minister’s decision because it allows unresolved concerns about the development and evaluation of the new catalogue to be investigated before public money is committed.

Publishers previously raised concerns about fairness, transparency, market concentration and the reduction in the number of approved titles available to schools.

The suspension also allows publishers whose materials were excluded from the new catalogue to remain eligible for orders under the existing system.

However, the department must still provide certainty about how long the suspension will remain in force and whether the disputed catalogue will be corrected or replaced through a new process.

Investigation identifies material problems

Gwarube decided to keep the suspension in place after an independent investigation examined the development, evaluation and proposed implementation of the catalogue.

According to the Department of Basic Education, the investigation identified material areas of non-compliance, weaknesses in governance and potential procurement and financial-management risks.

The precise findings and their legal consequences have not yet been finalised.

Gwarube has instructed the department to continue verifying the legality of the process and identifying appropriate remedial measures. The State Attorney has been asked to obtain independent advice from senior counsel.

The minister said problems identified by the investigation could not be ignored, but learners’ education could also not be placed on hold while the issues were resolved.

Existing catalogue remains available

Provincial education departments and schools with delegated procurement authority may order previously approved Foundation Phase materials for the 2027 school year.

These include learning and teaching resources for:

• Home Language;
• First Additional Language;
• Mathematics;
• Life Skills; and
• Coding and Robotics.

The department will coordinate with provincial authorities to ensure that textbook ordering, printing and distribution deadlines are not disrupted.

The Western Cape Education Department has also confirmed that its Foundation Phase teaching plans will continue despite the suspension.

Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier’s successor, Jaco Londt, said the province already had access to approved reading materials, including decodable graded readers and resources developed through its Back on Track programme.

Why the catalogue became controversial

The Department of Basic Education began developing a replacement for the Foundation Phase catalogue currently used by schools after the existing list went without a comprehensive review for approximately 14 years.

A formal invitation for publishers to submit materials was issued in 2024. The new catalogue was intended to improve quality, reduce textbook costs and expand access to learning materials in African languages.

However, controversy arose over the evaluation and approval process.

Concerns included:

• The reduction of approved textbook options from as many as eight titles to three in certain categories.
• Possible concentration of the market among a limited number of publishers.
• The legality of deviations reportedly obtained from National Treasury.
• The independence and selection of subject advisers.
• The use of a “blind screening” evaluation system.
• Beneficial ownership and relationships between participating publishing businesses.
• The approval of material submitted by a relatively new publishing company.

The department defended blind screening as a mechanism that prevented evaluators from knowing the identities of authors and publishers. Critics questioned whether the process contained sufficient safeguards to identify connected companies or indirect market concentration.

Lighthouse Publishing questions raised

Particular attention was directed at Lighthouse Publishing, which was reportedly registered only months before participating in the catalogue process.

Members of Parliament questioned whether the company had sufficient publishing experience and capacity to deliver large volumes of educational material.

The Department of Basic Education said it had received information explaining the editorial and production support available to the company through Class Act Educational Services.

No final finding of wrongdoing against Lighthouse Publishing or any other participating company has been announced. The independent and legal review processes must determine whether the concerns justify corrective action.

Parliament referred process for investigation

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education previously resolved to refer the catalogue process to the Public Protector.

Committee members said explanations provided by senior department officials had failed to resolve concerns about legality, procurement procedures and governance.

The committee also expressed concern about disagreements between Gwarube, Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule and Director-General Mathanzima Mweli over aspects of the process.

The referral was intended to establish whether political or administrative interference occurred and whether procurement requirements were followed correctly.

Catalogue valued at approximately R1.6 billion

The new catalogue reportedly included 6,385 approved titles from 19 publishers and had an estimated total procurement value of approximately R1.6 billion.

The department previously argued that including price as an evaluation factor could generate significant savings. It cited the example of a Grade 1 reader that previously cost approximately R55 but could cost around R16 under the proposed arrangement.

Publishers and parliamentary representatives nevertheless argued that lower prices could not justify weaknesses in governance, transparency or educational quality.

The Foundation Phase catalogue suspension will remain in place while legal advice is obtained and the department determines how to remedy the identified problems.