Since April, officials from the Western Cape Education Department have been travelling across the province to discuss the latest literacy and numeracy results of Grade 6 learners.
The literacy and numeracy road show involves a series of meetings with principals, educators, parents and communities to discuss the performance of primary school learners in the 2009 Grade 6 tests, as well as, inform them on how to improve on these results. Providing this information to parents also enables them to hold their schools accountable for their children’s performance.
The Western Cape Education Department has undertaken these tests on a large scale every year since 2002, alternating between grades 3 and 6, in order to identify problem areas and where to undertake remedial action.
In November 2009, the Western Cape Education Department assessed the literacy and numeracy skills of 83 921 Grade 6 learners from 1 046 schools in the province. The tests have provided a wealth of information on learner performance and are also guide the department’s literacy and numeracy strategy.
This strategy includes the diagnostic tests and analysis, teacher training and support, the provision of teaching and learning materials and community mobilisation.
Brian Schreuder, the Western Cape Education Department's Deputy Director-General for Curriculum Management, as well as other officials, have met with various schools in every education district.
This road show also includes 24 community meetings which began in Bishop Lavis and will conclude in Stellenbosch on 4 August. The department has generated reports for every school and is working with schools to develop teaching strategies to meet specific needs.
The results for the province in 2009 reveal that Grade 6 learners have improved their literacy performance significantly since 2003, but that they are still struggling with mathematics.
For example: the Grade 6 literacy pass rate has improved by 13.6 percent from 35 percent in 2003 to 48.6 percent in 2009. The numeracy pass rate improved slightly, from 15.6 percent to 17.4 percent. While these results are still unacceptably low, it is encouraging to note that the majority of schools are making progress.
For example, out of 1 046 primary schools 611, or 58.4 percent percent, improved their results in numeracy, with 211 schools improving by more than 10 percent. 17.9 percent of schools results remained the same. In literacy, 603 schools (57.6 percent) improved their results, with 341 schools increasing by more than 10 percent.
MEC Donald Grant says that schools have responded very well to the reports and the road show and are actively implementing best practice to address specific problems, often with excellent results.
"As part of this administration's strategic plan, we have made improvements in literacy and numeracy one of our key objectives. We are therefore making the necessary interventions so that we can equip our youth with the skills they need to compete in the highly competitive global environment," he said.
"We have set clear targets to improve literacy and numeracy at grades three, six and nine and over next the four years we are determined to achieve them. The Western Cape Education Department will test all Grade 3 and 6 learners every year from 2010.
"The department will extend this programme to Grade 9s for the first time this year on a pilot basis. The Western Cape Education Department has also invested an additional R101 million this year on reading books and text books in primary and high schools."
Grant says that success in the end will depend on everyone playing a role, from the learner to the teacher, parents and communities.
"Progress to date has showed that interventions do work. Further progress depends on the ongoing commitment of all concerned."
Brian Schreuder says the afternoon meetings with school management teams have been one of the major successes of the road show.
"Here, we share best practice and success stories with the various schools in the area, with an aim to improve the results of schools that are lagging behind," he said.
"I have been struck by the commitment of educators and principals to improve on these results. However, schools cannot do this alone. They also need the support of parents and communities to turn around learner outcomes. If we have community and parental assistance, as well as commitment by the learner and the educator, these results will improve."
Media enquiries:
Bronagh Casey
Cell: 072 7241 422
Tel: 021 467 2377
