Good morning fellow South Africans!
I thank you for being a part of this important announcement of the results of the 2013 Annual National Assessments (ANA).
We had recommitted already to the nation the democratic government’s resolve to improve education quality from the formative years to matric and beyond. Such a strategic shift had meant that more evidence-based focus should equally be dedicated to upping foundational skills from the lower grades.
We’re seeing already steady improvement in performance as a result of this direction we’re taking with positive output from those learners who’ve already been through the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements.
The results of international studies including Trends in Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) have corroborated our observations that sections of the education system are responding positively to the many interventions we have made.
The latest TIMSS results (of 2011) showed that schools at the lower end of the performance spectrum, mainly schools in the less advantaged contexts, registered impressive improvements.
In respect of our country, 2011 TIMSS pointed to improvements in mathematics and science competencies of Grade 9 learners when compared to Grade 9 learners tested in 2002. South Africa’s improvement in mathematics of 67 TIMSS’ points between 2002 and 2011, or 7 points per year on average, is among the steepest seen by any TIMSS participant. Only Ghana has seen a steeper improvement over this period.
Our improvement is comparable to that experienced by Brazil in the last decade, probably the fastest and most consistent improver in any international testing system in recent years.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we release ANA results perhaps we owe it to the nation also to report on the work we’ve done as a sector to discharge the mandate you’ve given to us. Since 2011 the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has conducted Annual National Assessments to monitor the level and quality of learner performance in the key foundational skills of literacy and numeracy.
These assessments have become a method of providing overall system feedback to inform the Department and the sector on literacy and numeracy levels. The ANA allows teachers to reflect on their performance and to identify areas that require additional support to ensure effective learning.
As an indicator of the health of the education system, ANA has yielded not only valuable information on the status quo. ANA has also pointed to those areas calling for urgent attention to improve performance.
For instance in 2012 the results of ANA showed that while learner achievement in Language was generally at acceptable levels in terms of the proportion of learners who achieved 50% and above in the tests in many grades, achievement in Mathematics declined across the grades with progressively steeper declines from Grade 6 to Grade 9.
The rhythm of these assessments has stabilised remarkably in the last 3 years with participation increasing from around half a million learners in 2011 to about 7 million learners in 2013.
Each year the assessments have generated useful information on the state of teaching and learning in our schools. They have enabled our Department and provinces to marshal programmes addressing areas of concern in the schooling system.
The 2013 assessments were conducted in Grades 1 to 6 and Grade 9. The test administration of ANA took place from 10-13 September 2013 in all public and state-funded independent schools. The test administration process was a resounding success as most schools wrote according to plan.
It was a collaborative effort involving provincial education departments, district officials, principals, teachers, parents and most importantly learners who sat for the tests.
Fellow compatriots,
Allow me to congratulate our host, Mahlahle Primary School, on achieving an average percentage mark of 69% for Mathematics in Grade 3 and 67% for English (Home Language) in Grade 6.
I must say we’re excited with the ANA process particularly given the manner in which it is influencing and driving improvements in performance. Pockets of excellence are indeed blooming as demanded by President Jacob Zuma in his recent speeches on the occasion of the Opening of Parliament.
Sakhile Primary School in Sedibeng East offers a brilliant example. I’m glad that the principal of this high performing school is here with us this morning, Mrs Selepe. She says the secret of their success as Sakhile lies in the fact that they took a conscious decision to do things differently to improve learner performance. An analysis they had conducted had revealed deficiencies in the learners’ understanding of questions and so they had intervened armed with this evidence.
They worked as a team to turn things around, with teachers offering extra lessons including on Saturdays, especially in Mathematics and language. They used ANA exemplars and previous questions to prepare learners. Their results shot up!
ANA has really helped to uncover problem areas. Schools in Gauteng benefitted much from the Extra School Support Programme that did much to assist underperforming schools in the main. This shows also that with the right leadership, support and dedication, teachers can do more to improve performance.
Now to the 2013 ANA results.
I will start with the national average performance per grade:
In Grade 1, the national average performance in Literacy is 60%. It was 58% in 2012. In Numeracy, the national average performance is 60%, from 68% in 2012. In Grade 2, the national average performance in Literacy is 57%, compared to 55% in 2012. In Numeracy, it is 59%, from 57% in 2012.
In Grade 3, the national average performance in Literacy stands at 51% as compared to 52% in 2012, registering a decrease of 1%. While in Numeracy our learners are performing at an average of 53% as compared to 41% in 2012, an improvement of 12% from 2012.
In Grade 4, the national average performance in Language is 49% for Home Language and 39% for First Additional Language, compared to 43% in Home Language and 34% in First Additional Language in 2012.
In Grade 4, the average for Numeracy is 37%. It was also 37% in 2012. In Grade 5, the national average performance in Language is 46% for Home Language and 37% for First Additional Language, compared to 40% in Home Language and 30% in First Additional Language in 2012. In Numeracy, the national average performance is 33%, up from 30% in 2012.
In Grade 6, the national average performance in Language is 59% in Home Language as compared to 43% in 2012 and 46% in First Additional Language as compared to 36% in 2012.
This is an improvement of 16% in Home Language and 10% in First Additional Language. For Mathematics, the average performance is 39% as compared to 27% in 2012. In Grade 9, the national average performance in Language stands at 43% (Home Language) as compared to 43% in 2012, and 33% (First Additional Language) as compared to 35% in 2012.
There is no change in Home Language; but a decrease of 2% in First Additional Language. In Mathematics, in Grade 9 the national average is 14%, compared to 13% in 2012.
The different levels of performance with learners performing above 50% for Literacy/Language show that:
- In Grade 1, 71% of learners achieved above 50%, from 64% in 2012.
- In Grade 2, 65% of learners achieved above 50%, from 64% in 2012.
- In Grade 3, 57% of learners achieved above 50%, the same as 2012.
- In Grade 4, 52% of learners in Home Language and 31% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50%, from 41% (Home Language) and 25% (First Additional Language) in 2012.
- In Grade 5, 45% of learners in Home Language and 27% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50%, from 37% (Home Language) and 16% (First Additional Language) in 2012.
- In Grade 6, 68% of learners in Home Language and 41% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50% in Language, compared to 39% in Home Language and 24% in First Additional Language in 2012.
- In Grade 9, 37% of learners in Home Language and 17% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50% in Language, compared to 39% in Home Language and 21% in First Additional Language in 2012.
For us this is very important because we do not have to improve only the general average but we also have to reduce the number of poor performers and make sure that many of our children move out of the “non-achieved” categories.
In terms of the different levels of performance for Numeracy/Mathematics:
- In Grade 1, 71% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 77% in 2012.
- In Grade 2, 70% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 68% in 2012.
- In Grade 3, 59% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 36% in 2012.
- In Grade 4, 27% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 26% in 2012.
- In Grade 5, 21% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 16% in 2012.
- In Grade 6, 27% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 11% in 2012.
- In Grade 9, 3% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 2% in 2012.
I am confident that performance in the education system is on an upward trend and all our interventions and programmes are beginning to produce the desired outcomes. Learner achievement in both Language and Mathematics in the Foundation Phase is largely of adequate quality and level.
Learner achievement at the intermediate phase in general and in Grade 9 Mathematics in particular, showed wide-ranging deficiencies in basic knowledge and competencies. For instance, at national level, significantly more than half of the Grade 3 learner population achieved adequate to outstanding levels of performance in Language and Mathematics, a proportion fairly close to the 60% target set for 2014.
At the Grade 6 level, approximately two out of every five learners demonstrated adequate to outstanding achievements in Language, provided teaching and learning occurred in their “home language.” Where the language of learning and teaching was different from the “home language,” only one out of every five Grade 6 learners reached the same level of performance.
Achievement of Grade 6 learners in Mathematics was much lower, with only one out of every ten learners achieving adequate and higher levels of performance. In both Language and Mathematics, Grade 9 learners demonstrated a fairly limited repertoire of necessary basic skills and knowledge. This is a signal warranting particular attention given that this is a critical transition grade into the Further Education and Training Band of the school system.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Given low performance in Grade 9 Mathematics and concerns raised about the nature, structure and content of the 2013 ANA Grade 9 test instrument, on 19 November I convened a special meeting of the Maths, Science and Technology (MST) Task team to investigate whether the test instrument was fair, valid and reliable. This is the task team led by Prof John Bradley. I received a report on 2 December.
The task team said the results are a genuine and credible reflection of the learning achievements in Grade 9 Maths. The report further indicated that CAPS provides comprehensive guidelines on curriculum content and assessment and should be considered a primary vehicle for addressing low performance in Grade 9 Maths.
It is worth mentioning at this stage that in our determination to leave no stone unturned in the quest to provide quality education, the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) has presented its first report on the state of reading in the Foundation Phase. The next report on the Intermediate Phase will be presented in the first quarter of the 2014 school calendar year.
The Ministerial Task team on the audit of reading programmes has also presented a report on the implementation of reading programmes in each of the provinces. The MST Ministerial task Team report also tabulates strengths and weaknesses in the sector. The Planning, Delivery and Oversight Unit and the rapid response teams constituted by DBE and provincial education officials have started to action these reports. The impact of these interventions will start to show much more from next year.
As promised, allow me at this point to present a brief update on the good health of education. Already I’ve started doing so.
Update on progress
We declared 2013 the year of inclusive education. Accordingly we took steps to expand support for special needs in schools, including the National Training Programme initiated in July.
This programme provides Guidelines to ensure quality education and support in special schools and special schools resource centres, Guidelines for full service schools and Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom through the National Curriculum Statement (that is, curriculum differentiation.)
We’ve sustained training of teachers in visual impairment, specifically on the adaptation of papers for the NSC and ANA. The South African Sign Language curriculum was developed and approved as policy in 2013 to advance the drive towards inclusive education. On the provision of Learner Teacher Support Material (LTSM), Our Department spent in the region of R86m to develop the Grade 1-12 national catalogues of textbooks that were distributed to provincial departments.
For the 2013 school year government printed and delivered 52 million workbooks. These include Grades R-9 workbooks to benefit 10.4 million learners in the 24 355 public schools.
We spent R739m to develop Grade R-9 workbooks and Grade 1-6 Braille workbooks. Grades R-1 Numeracy Braille workbooks were printed and delivered to 22 special schools in the country for use in 2013. Grade 2-6 Mathematics workbooks were provided to 22 special schools for use in the 2014 academic year. For further curriculum innovation, the Department has developed interactive workbooks for the Foundation Phase.
South Africa is now getting improved quality of Early Childhood Development. 16 909 of the 18 475 public primary schools now have Grade R classes. Since 2009, government has made teacher education and development a high priority based on the view that improving teacher quality is crucial for improving the performance of the schooling system. Research abounds in this respect.
We have provided to deserving young South Africans the Funza Lushaka Bursary as part of the strategies for tackling teacher shortages in key subjects like Mathematics, Physical Science and Accounting, as well as in the Foundation Phase. From 2007 to 2012 a total of 48 292 bursaries was awarded to student teachers at a cost of over R 1.9 billion.
The Funza Lushaka bursary allocation from National Treasury for 2013/2014 was R 893 867 000. From this amount, preliminary data shows that 14 512 bursaries were awarded. For 2014, the allocation is R 947 499,000. Through the Teacher Union Collaboration that we had initiated, around 80 000 teachers were trained in various focus areas.
To broaden access for children from poor and working class families, the democratic government had committed to increase the percentage of no-fee paying schools to 60% by 2009. This target we achieved. In 2013 no-fee schools were expanded to cover over 77.6 % of learners (over 8 million) nationally.
By September 2013, through the National School Nutrition Programme the department was able to provide nutritious meals daily to over 9 million learners in 19 877 public primary, secondary and special schools nationwide.
The nutrition programme is currently funded at R5,173 billion (for the 2013/14 financial year,) up from R832 million in 2004/05. This significant increase of the budget has yielded real benefits for learners in terms of quality of meals.
The NSNP has promoted local economic activity and community participation through the procurement of goods and services. As at 30 September 2013, a total of 3 061 small businesses and 511 Local Women Cooperatives nationally were engaged in supplying and delivering food to schools. 55 156 volunteers are presently engaged with the programme to cook and serve meals to learners. The monthly honorarium has increased from R150 in 2004 to R820 (in 2013/14).
We welcome the launch in July 2013 of the National Education Collaboration Framework and its Trust. This was preceded by extensive consultation among various stakeholders and partners in education.
This collaborative partnership has presented a plan for joint action to improve education with active participation of business, trade unions, civil society and government. This national partnership will mobilise resources and drive a concerted effort to achieve the education targets of the National Development Plan.
The total number of partnerships we’ve entered into to improve basic education has grown significantly to include over 200 private businesses, parastatals, departments and NGOs.
In recognition of the importance of active engagement of parents and the broader community in improving educational outcomes, the Department is strengthening the implementation of the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign.
Since 2009 our Department has worked with the Department of Health to bring health services back to school. With Health and Social Development, in 2013/14 we intensified the implementation of the Integrated School Health Programme. By 2012/13 the programme had reached an estimated 652 258 learners, from 150 000 learners in the 2010/11 financial year.
We’re implementing also a national strategy for the prevention and management of alcohol and drug use among learners and also prioritising school safety.
We’ve raised the number of people on the adult literacy pro¬gramme, Kha Ri Gude, to almost 3 million (2 922 427) adults from 2.2 million achieved since 2008. Kha Ri Gude will reach 3 599 227 learners at the end of 2013/14. This means that the adult literacy campaign is likely to exceed the 2015 target of reaching 4.7 million adults.
Plans for 2014 and beyond
One of our key challenges is learner performance in schools at the bottom end of the performance spectrum making it difficult for all children to benefit from education of a high quality. The Senior Phase (Grades 7-9), requires immediate attention. It is quite clear even from the performance of Grade 9 learners in the Annual National Assessments that we should channel maximum energy to this area.
I therefore want to make bold to say in the next three years, the system should prepare for externally set exams encompassing the Senior Phase. Next year ANA should be extended to include the entire Senior Phase because clearly there are challenges that need sorting out in this phase.
We trust that with the roll-out of the new curriculum reaching this phase, we will be able to address underperformance and begin to see changes that had been experienced in those phases we’ve already covered, the lower grades.
However, our investigation as DBE show that this is dependent upon other critical actions that need to be undertaken by the entire system, including: strengthening monitoring, evaluation and support; strengthening support for subject advisors and teachers and continuing with teacher training with a deliberate focus on content and methodology, per term, per grade.
In 2014, support and monitoring of CAPS will be intensified as all grades will be implementing. In 2014 and beyond, facilities of Dinaledi High Schools will be made available to primary school learners. Changes are to be made to the grant framework to accommodate the formation of the Maths, Science and Technology (MST) Directorate as per recommendations of the Ministerial MST Task-team.
The Mathematics, Science and Technology directorate will be established in 2014. The findings and recommendations of the Ministerial Task-team on MST that I had appointed to investigate performance in Mathematics and Science in the system will be used to strengthen the teaching and learning of MST in schools.
Work is on-going on the consultation, approval and finalization of a policy framework for universal access to Grade R that has been released for public comment. The Incremental Introduction of African Languages in schools is to be piloted in Grade 1 in 2014 in preparation for full implementation in this grade in 2015.
We will continue to provide workbooks for 2014 to 24 355 public schools. A total number of 54 m workbooks for Grades R-9 will be delivered to benefit 10.6 m learners across the country. It is estimated that R841 m will be spent as allocated.
The Department will continue to develop the remaining workbooks into electronic interactive workbooks for all phases, and make them available for different platforms. A DBE site will be established to broaden access to all electronic content.
As we’ve announced, matric results for 2013 will be released on 6 January 2014. I would like to thank all MECs and HODs for their efforts. ANA 2013 would not have been possible without hard work on the part of provincial and district officials.
To the Director-General, Mr Bobby Soobrayan, in absentia, and the Acting Director-General, Mr Paddy Padayachee and his team, thank you for a job well done.
Conclusion
In sum, the ANA 2013 results have provided a standardised complementary account of system performance in relation to the targets outlined for 2014. Targeted interventions by the Department and broad stakeholder public-private partnerships had a positive impact on our efforts to make significant improvements in the performance levels of learners.
While the ANA results of 2013 confirm an upward trend in most grades, we still have to strengthen our efforts towards realising the desired 60% threshold of learners mastering the minimum Language and Mathematics competencies by the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9.
We remain committed to improving the quality of basic education, with particular focus on the critical and non-negotiable outputs.
I thank you!
