Reflections on the 2nd Rural Education Partnerships Conference

At Axium Education, we’ve always believed rural schools can’t be strengthened in isolation. The challenges are complex, and real change only happens when schools, government, NGOs, funders, and communities work together. Over the years, we’ve seen how partnerships open doors for young people in the Eastern Cape, whether in classrooms, post-school pathways, or community projects.

This belief was at the heart of the 2nd Rural Education Partnerships Conference, held on 6 - 7 August 2025 in East London. Co-hosted with the DG Murray Trust’s Public School Partnerships office, the Eastern Cape Department of Education and NASCEE, the conference built on the foundation of the inaugural event last year. Education leaders, civil society partners, government officials, and community organisations came together to reflect, share, and think towards a better future. With the theme “Education partnerships to strengthen pathways for rural youth,” two days were filled with learning and debate.

The conference brought together a strong sense of energy and shared determination to build something better for rural learners and youth. This collective spirit reflected our broader mission to drive systemic improvement through meaningful partnerships. The event’s goals to strengthen collaboration and showcase effective models were clearly achieved, with rich insights drawn from the Public School Partnerships model. The presence of the Eastern Cape MEC for Education, Hon. Fundile Gade reinforced the seriousness of this collaboration and left attendees feeling that “we are being taken seriously.” 

A key theme that emerged was the vast opportunity created when young people are meaningfully involved in schools, linking directly to our vision of a youth-powered national rural literacy programme. The conference highlighted promising youth-focused approaches through lessons from community-based development initiatives. Delegates explored critical issues such as strengthening foundational learning in rural schools and supporting school-to-work transitions. By centring these conversations and emphasising collaborative leadership, the conference generated strong momentum to keep rural communities, educators, and young people at the heart of national discussions, ensuring that our shared determination leads to sustained and scaled action across the country.

Perhaps the most exciting outcome is what comes next. There are a number of Communities of Practice and Working Groups that are bringing like-minded people and organisations together to take this work forward. If you’d like to learn more about Public School Partnerships, Teaching at the Right Level, School leadership, Foundational literacy and numeracy, and Youth pathways in education please reach out to us at [nonhlanhla@axiumeducation.org] and we’ll connect you with one of these groups.

This collective determination is the "so what": it proves that partnerships aren’t just nice-to-haves; they are essential for building stronger schools, creating real pathways, and opening brighter futures for our rural youth. By relentlessly focusing on scaling successful partnerships (like the PSP model) and leveraging the opportunity of our youth-powered vision, we realise the core truth articulated by Dr Langa, Director for Rural Education: “Rurality should not be perceived or spoken about as deficient and powerless. There is power within us and the environments we work in.”

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and partners who made the conference possible. Thank you to the Binding Constraints Lab, the Regency ICC, Keinetik Media, Slik Media, Nomo Bags, The Voice Lounge, and all our supporters for helping us bring this vision to life.