{
  "id": 14648090,
  "title": "Free schooling, jailing parents, and testing teachers: What SA’s biggest parties are saying about education",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/free-schooling-jailing-parents-and-testing-teachers-what-sas-biggest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T08:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/free-schooling-jailing-parents-and-testing-teachers-what-sas-biggest-parties-are-saying-about-education/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africa's major political parties have outlined their education priorities in their 2024 national election manifestos. The ANC pledged to expand early childhood development access, foster a culture of reading, numeracy and technology skills, and enhance vocational training. The DA focused on foundational learning, aiming to increase Grade 4 reading proficiency rates and introduce national literacy and numeracy tests. The EFF advocated for free, decolonised education incorporating indigenous knowledge, with free tablets, nutritious meals and specialised schools for special needs children. The MK party proposed making education free and compulsory from kindergarten to postgraduate studies, addressing infrastructure challenges and ensuring nutrition in schools.",
  "summary": "Here is what the ANC, DA, EFF and the MK party said about education in their manifestos...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}