Professor Nick Binedell, dean at GIBS opened the discussion by highlighting the fact that education is one of the greatest issues of our time, both in South Africa and globally. “Education is central to a nation’s health and wellbeing and in South Africa this critical pillar has certainly been under the spotlight.” said Professor Binedell.

Barbara Creecy, MEC for education in South Africa, opened by reading a number of statistics from a 1994 government document which showed the dire situation of education in our country that was inherited by the post-apartheid government. At this time, the number of school days missed by learners as well as the number of schools without electricity and water was high and the number of adult South Africans with a matric was low.