South Africa’s Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says teaching and learning will continue without interruption while the 2026 Foundation Phase National Catalogue remains suspended.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has kept the catalogue suspension in place while the legal implications of the procurement process are considered. Provinces have been told that the existing catalogue of previously approved Foundation Phase materials will remain available for procurement for the 2027 school year.
The WCED said it had already expanded the pre-2026 catalogue to include decodable graded readers, allowing schools to access reading materials at scale through its Back on Track programme. The department has also developed and co-created reading resources that are already in use in schools and will remain available in 2027, including department-developed and open-source materials aligned with its approved reading approach.
All reading materials currently used by the WCED have been reviewed and screened for alignment with curriculum and procurement requirements. The department said it is confident Foundation Phase classrooms will continue to receive the reading materials and support needed to strengthen literacy outcomes and ensure classroom readiness for the 2027 school year.
The WCED thanked the minister for acting decisively to provide certainty for provinces and schools while the matter is resolved.
