The South African education system is characterised by copious challenges and inadequacies that perpetuate the ongoing education crisis.  The results of the 2021 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) confirmed that learning losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are severe across South Africa. 

The PIRLS report is an international assessment that focuses on measuring the reading literacy skills of fourth-grade students. It is conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and provides valuable insights into reading comprehension and literacy achievement globally. South Africa's average PIRLS score dropped from 320 in 2016, to 288 in 2021. This represents a drop of 32 points on the scale, leaving the country placed last out of all 50 countries that participated in the study. [Read more]

The PIRLS 2021 report highlights a situation in South Africa that could be described as a "widespread disaster," where over 4 million primary school students have undergone more than half of their education in a state of disruption in their learning journey.

#BackOnTrack in the Western Cape

The current literacy crisis in South Africa requires immediate implementation of an innovative and solution-oriented approach. This approach should be accompanied by well-defined monitoring and evaluation procedures.

To address the educational crisis in South Africa, it is important to consider policy recommendations and regulatory actions that promote collaboration across sectors. This approach will help showcase effective models for integrating cross-sector collaboration and identify investment prospects for various stakeholders, including those in the public and private sectors. By doing so, it will provide a comprehensive framework outlining the expectations of stakeholders in different sectors and guide the prioritisation of leadership development in relevant areas such as literacy. 

In the Western Cape, a strategy has been implemented to address the issue of reading across all grades. This strategy involves training teachers and providing them with workbooks and other instructional materials, with the goal of enhancing their teaching abilities and improving reading outcomes. It will be desirable to create a national reading plan and allocate funds to a national reading budget plan. 

The PIRLS results unequivocally demonstrate that the pandemic has substantially eroded the progress made in previous years, jeopardizing the future of the youngest learners. That is why the Western Cape is allocating an additional R1.2 billion to the #BackOnTrack initiative over the next three years. This investment aims to enhance learning outcomes across all educational stages, ensuring a brighter future for the children of the Western Cape. [Read more about #BackOnTrack]

Based on the PIRLS results of the systemic tests, 333 schools in the Western Cape have been chosen to receive specialised assistance, in addition to the 1,100 schools that have been receiving extra support in the Foundation Phase since 2022. The newly selected schools will encompass 126,000 learners, 8,980 teachers, and 28,000 parents who will be the focus of targeted participation, adding to the 310,000 learners and 10,000 teachers who are already taking part in the Foundation Phase.

As parents and as a nation at large, it is crucial to cultivate a reading culture where reading is celebrated, esteemed, honoured, and promoted. Reading should be at the core of the curriculum, as it plays a vital role in a child's individual, social, and academic accomplishments, as well as their overall well-being.

Collaboratively, let's endeavour to get our learners #BackOnTrack and pave the way for a hopeful future!