Latest news with #ProgressinInternationalReadingLiteracyStudy
Daily Maverick
28-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Maverick
SA children say they really like to read, despite dismal reading test results
A deep dive into the data behind the poor scores of South Africa's primary school learns in reading assessments – Part 2 Grade 3 is an interesting time to test children for reading ability in South Africa. Children are taught in one of the 11 official languages (ostensibly their home language) in their first years of school, known as the foundation phase, from Grade R to Grade 3. From Grade 4, the 'language of learning and teaching', or language of instruction, becomes predominantly English or Afrikaans, although there are moves to change this and extend home-language instruction. Research shows that there are benefits in teaching young children foundational reading skills in their home language, even if the results of the latest surveys don't appear to hold that up. In the past five years, two surveys have found that our Grade 3s and Grade 4s can't read for meaning. The first, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's (IEA's) 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) tested Grade 4s and involved children in 57 countries. The second, a local survey called the South African Systemic Evaluation (SASE), involved 56,650 learners from 1,688 schools. It looked at the reading and mathematics abilities of Grade 3, 6 and 9 learners across the country. The Department of Basic Education released the results of the SASE only in December 2024. In both surveys, the children who were tested in Afrikaans and English scored higher than the children who wrote the test in the other nine languages. In Pirls, English and Afrikaans were the only two languages where the average scores were relatively close to 400, the minimum required to show an ability to read for meaning in easy texts. In the SASE, the reading skills and knowledge learners are expected to be proficient at are divided into four performance levels. The first level, named 'emerging', is where learners are just beginning to develop the skills required for grade 3-level reading. The next level up, known as 'evolving', is where learners are beginning to construct and adapt what they have learnt. The third level, called 'enhancing', is where learners demonstrate that they actually have the required skills, are able to apply those skills and show they are moving towards independent learning. At the highest, 'extending' level, learners show an advanced understanding of the knowledge and skills required, apply their knowledge in creative ways and can learn independently. Learners need to have 'enhancing'-level skills to meet the requirements of Grade 3. Only one in five of the Grade 3s who took part achieved that level. Mother tongue Seventy-five percent of the Grade 3s in South Africa's public schools are taught in their home language, according to the Department of Basic Education. Professor Abdeljalil Akkari, an expert in education at the University of Geneva, argues that 'pre-primary is the educational sector which has the greatest need to be based on local pedagogy, traditions and cultures'. South Africa was one of the few countries that ran the Pirls test in multiple languages. While in theory, students testing in their home language rather than only English should equalise the assessment playing field, results showed that this was not in fact the case. Researchers have pointed out some testing issues with Pirls, such as how translating a European test into African languages may create more issues than it solves. An example given by researchers at the University of Pretoria is how the isiZulu version of the Pirls test needed to use foreign words in translations such as 'i-Hammerhead shark'. They show that due to translations, the isiZulu and English texts used in Pirls aren't equivalent, resulting in a harder test for the isiZulu schools compared with the English schools. Language of instruction If you look in more detail at the data on the language of instruction at schools, about a third of South Africa's Grade 3s are actually taught in English, even though English is the home language of fewer than 10% of them. Not surprisingly, 98% of the Grade 3s whose home language is English are taught in English at school; 92% of Afrikaans-speaking children are taught in Afrikaans. The picture is different for African language speakers. Children whose home language is isiNdebele are the least likely to be taught in their home language at 50%, according to DBE data. Sesotho speakers fare marginally better at 52%. More than 70% of the children who speak isiXhosa, Siswati, Setswana, Sepedi and Tshivenda were taught in their home language, as were two-thirds of children who speak Xitsonga and isiZulu. Provincial differences Provincial reading scores from the SASE showed that in the Western Cape, close to half the Grade 3s could read up to the required standard. In Gauteng, that dropped to 28% and in all the other provinces, fewer than 20% of the learners had Grade 3-level reading skills. Six languages are of particular concern because more than 40% of Grade 3 learners managed to achieve only the most basic performance level in their reading skills in the reading assessments. They are Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, isiNdebele, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. Those languages are predominantly spoken in the four provinces that scored the lowest in the SASE reading assessment: the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo, according to Nwabisa Makaluza, a researcher at Stellenbosch University, who contributed an advisory note for the Reading Panel 2025 Background Report. In these provinces, a high percentage of Grade 3 learners are taught in their home language. For example, 87% in the Northern Cape, 72% in Mpumalanga, 79% in North West and 92% in Limpopo. In comparison, in Gauteng, only two in every five learners (43%) are taught in their home language. Gauteng is the most linguistically diverse province. No home language is truly dominant. The most commonly spoken language is isiZulu, but only one in four Grade 3s speak isiZulu at home. More than 20,000 Grade 3 learners speak Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi and English at home, more than 10,000 speak Xitsonga, Afrikaans and isiXhosa. This diversity makes teaching in all the home languages a complicated affair, requiring teachers trained to teach foundation phase learners in multiple languages. Despite its linguistic diversity, and the relatively low proportion of learners taught in their home language, Gauteng's Grade 3 learners did better in SASE reading tests than all but those in the Western Cape. The standard of education, quality of teaching and availability of resources in the public schools may also play a part in the poor reading assessment results of children. Not enough African language teachers South Africa's universities are not producing enough teachers to meet the demand for foundation phase teachers who can teach in African languages, according to a Department of Basic Education report by education economist Martin Gustafsson. The most recently available data, which was for 2018, shows the languages with the biggest undersupply of teachers are Sepedi, isiXhosa and Setswana. Only three languages are producing enough teachers for the foundation phase: Tshivenda, Siswati and isiNdebele. 'Some African languages are producing as little as 20% of the required number of language of learning and teaching-specific teachers,' according to the report. The language in which children are taught to read is just one factor. There are historical factors, such as the channelling of resources during apartheid to white schools where English and Afrikaans were the languages of instruction. Thirty years later, many of those schools remain better resourced. Access to learning material 'Children learn better and are more likely to pursue their subsequent studies when they have begun their schooling in a language that they use and understand,' says Professor Abdeljalil Akkari. South Africa's education policy states that the language of learning and teaching must be the learner's 'home language', but it is the school that chooses which language is to be regarded as the home language for their learners, so in many cases the official home language is not actually their mother tongue, says Sinethemba Mthimkhulu and other Pretoria University researchers. In addition, educational resources are primarily designed for English-speaking learners. The actual language profile of the country is not at all reflected in textbook publications. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries have incorporated digital learning into their schooling. The 2024 SA Book Publishing Survey shows that 1,130 new digital textbooks were published in English, more than 600 in Afrikaans and fewer than 300 were published in all the other South African languages combined. More worrying is the lack of new print textbooks being published in Sepedi, Setswana, SiSwati, Sesotho, isiNdebele, Xitsonga and Tshivenda. It's not only textbooks, other reading materials also show an English and Afrikaans dominance in a country where two in five people speak isiZulu and isiXhosa. The National Reading Baromete r, through the National Reading Survey, found that access to books in home languages is still a huge problem in South Africa. The survey found that 72% of parents who read with their young children would prefer to read in an African language. It also found that schools are the most important source of reading materials in South African households. In many cases (40%), the books that adults read with their children at home are school textbooks and 33% are fiction books. Looking at all books in general, fewer than 10% of book sales are for African language books, according to data from the latest South African Book Publishing Industry Survey. In the period from 2021-2024, fewer than 1% of book sales in South Africa were isiNdebele or siSwati books, and Sepedi and Sesotho publications each accounted for only 1%. isiZulu publications account for just 3% of these book sales and, although English is the home language of fewer than 10% of the population, English books made up 80% of the total book revenue, the book publishing industry survey shows. Two out of three households (63%) do not have any fiction or nonfiction books at all (this excludes bibles, magazines, textbooks etc). Most speakers of Xitsonga, isiNdebele and Tshivenda don't have a single book in their language at home, and more than 40% of Setswana and Sesotho speakers don't have any books in theirs, according to the 2023 National Reading Survey findings. Let the children read Despite the immense problems with reading, inequality and lack of resources, these reading surveys also reveal a shining light of hope, which is that South Africa's children actually like reading. Along with the Pirls reading test were various surveys, for the parents, school teachers and principals, as well as the children themselves. In the children's questionnaire, one of the questions asked whether they enjoyed reading. More than 70% of South Africa's children enthusiastically said they enjoyed reading, the 11th highest percentage of the 57 countries participating in the survey. In an 'enjoyment of reading' index, which encompassed a range of questions, Pirls found that 90% of the South African children like reading to some extent, and 50% of those like reading 'very much'. DM
Daily Maverick
16-05-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Rebuilding an education system in crisis, one book donation at a time
For the fourth consecutive year, Daily Maverick and Maverick451 have partnered with non-profit Gift of the Givers to print and distribute more than 1,400 age-appropriate books to underprivileged schools across South Africa. This joint initiative attempts to combat the country's deepening illiteracy crisis by providing essential educational resources to learners and educators. It is no secret that South Africa faces a severe and deepening literacy divide. According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and the 2030 Reading Panel, about 80% of the country's foundation phase pupils struggle to read for meaning in any language. This alarming statistic highlights a need for urgent intervention and access to impactful educational tools that support early childhood development. Four years ago, Daily Maverick 's head of growth, Fran Beighton, and Gift of the Givers, joined forces to launch MavericKids – a collaborative literacy project that seeks to make a real, measurable difference by delivering educational books directly to schools in need. What started as a small distribution to six schools in the Western Cape has expanded into a nationwide effort, reaching rural communities in the Eastern Cape (Tholeni, Butterworth) and Northern Cape (Keimoes, Upington, Calvinia), inspiring children who previously struggled to engage with literacy material. This year, 1,401 copies of MavericKids Activity Book Volume 4: Smart, Curious and Independent were donated as the result of books purchased by Daily Maverick readers, according to Gift of the Givers' administrator, Anele Ncetani. A partnership making a real difference 'The MavericKids partnership embodies the spirit of collaboration and social responsibility,' says Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers. 'Together, we've made a tangible impact on South Africa's literacy landscape and improved the lives of thousands of students. We look forward to continued growth and innovation.' MavericKids compiles the best educational content from DM168's MavericKids section into a comprehensive 240-page activity book. The book covers a wide range of topics, from artificial intelligence and career exploration to biology, geography and practical life skills, presented in accessible English. It is designed to be both educational and engaging, often serving as a valuable teaching resource. The collaboration stipulates that for every book sold, Daily Maverick donates an additional copy to Gift of the Givers for distribution, along with stationery packs to equip teachers and learners with the tools needed for success. Measuring success This year's book drop received overwhelmingly positive feedback, says Dr Sooliman. Teachers reportedly praised the quality and relevance of the books, noting that topics such as Planet Earth, how things work and the human body captivated students. 'Children enjoy the colourful illustrations and interactive activities,' he says, adding that the team received reports of increased student engagement and improved literacy skills. One teacher in rural Eastern Cape shared that previously disinterested readers now eagerly await each book drop, showing notable vocabulary growth. Similarly, Northern Cape learners, many of whom are Afrikaans speakers, found the English content easy to read and enjoyable, helping to bridge language barriers, says Dr Sooliman. A network of change MavericKids is more than just a book distribution project. It is part of a growing ecosystem that empowers teachers, inspires learners and fosters a culture of reading and curiosity. Many of today's learners are gaining confidence and knowledge that will enable them to mentor peers and younger students in the future, creating a ripple effect of literacy and empowerment across communities. With the fifth edition of MavericKids scheduled for release later this year, Daily Maverick and Gift of the Givers remain committed to expanding this impactful initiative. By focusing on early childhood education and resource accessibility, they hope to shift attitudes and improve literacy outcomes across South Africa. About Gift of the Givers The Gift of the Givers Foundation is Africa's largest disaster response non-governmental organisation of African origin. It has a strong track record of supporting education in South Africa, including providing school shoes, uniforms and technology to underprivileged and rural schools. Its interventions have reached communities such as Khayelitsha, Wellington and Esikawini, earning positive feedback from principals and local leaders. DM
The Star
04-05-2025
- General
- The Star
No books, no future: The cost of neglecting early childhood literacy
Deb Zelezniak | Published 2 hours ago Can a nation thrive if its youngest citizens grow up without books? The answer should be obvious. Yet in South Africa, more than 40% of households have no books at all. The situation is just as troubling within early childhood development (ECD) centres, where 61% have fewer than 10 books available, and only 56% provide age-appropriate reading materials across different age groups. Access to books in early childhood is not a 'nice-to-have' - it's the very foundation of all future learning and development. But we are failing our children - a fact made painfully clear by the now all-too-familiar statistics: 80% of Grade 3 learners cannot read for meaning, and the country ranked last out of 57 nations in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) . Behind these numbers are millions of children growing up without the most basic tools for learning - not just books, but the chance to hear stories and connect words to ideas. This lack of exposure robs them of far more than literacy: it stunts their cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial development. Children who miss out on these foundational experiences are more likely to fall behind academically, drop out of school, and face greater vulnerability to poverty and economic exclusion later in life. No one expects a child under five to read independently. But this vital developmental window - from birth to five - is when children learn how to learn. They must begin to explore books, listen to stories, and recognise that symbols on a page represent sounds, meanings, and imaginative worlds far beyond their own. These early encounters with books build essential life skills, from critical thinking and emotional regulation to numeracy, empathy, problem-solving, and creativity. As importantly, they nurture a lifelong love of reading. Without this foundation, children begin their academic journey at a disadvantage. For many, that gap only widens as they move through the system. Book Dash notes that even a single book can dramatically improve a child's school readiness compared to peers who have none. The good news is that this is a solvable problem. Civil society is already responding. Organisations like the Santa Shoebox Project have installed more than 220 reading corners in ECD centres around South Africa, creating inviting, book-filled spaces where children can develop a positive association with reading. But these efforts, while impactful, are only scratching the surface. Scaling such solutions will require broader support, particularly from the government and the private sector. Encouragingly, the recent national budget speech included promises of increased support for the ECD sector. It's a step in the right direction, but also long overdue . Decades of underfunding mean that properly resourcing and registering ECD centres - let alone filling them with relevant, multilingual books – remains a major challenge. Whether this new funding will directly improve access to books is still unclear. If we're serious about addressing South Africa's literacy crisis, we must stop treating it as a problem that begins in school. It starts long before then. By ensuring every child has access to books from the earliest years, we can nurture not only readers but thinkers, dreamers, and doers. The building blocks are simple. The return on investment is life-changing. The time to act is now. Deb Zelezniak, CEO of the Santa Shoebox Project
The Citizen
01-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Zululand NPO's third annual spelling bee a success
Low literacy levels at South African schools are of great concern, with a large percentage of Grade 4 learners struggling to read for meaning. The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) revealed that 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa could not read for meaning in any language, a figure that has been increasing since 2016. To address these concerns and commemorate World Book Day, the eSikhaleni-based Yenzakahle Foundation brought the power of words to the fore through its third annual Spelling Bee. ALSO READ: Education has no age limit, proves Thobile This initiative continues to grow in impact and attract more participants each year. The competition, which alternates annually between primary and high school learners, was established to not only spark a love for reading and literacy among young people, but also to provide a platform for academic excellence, confidence-building and community engagement. This year's instalment shone a light on primary school learners, who showcased their spelling prowess and passion for language in front of a lively audience. Yenzakahle Foundation founder Robin Sibisi said the event has become a much-anticipated highlight on the local calendar, uniting schools, parents and community members around the shared goal of empowering youth through education. 'We are incredibly proud to have hosted our third Spelling Bee. Each year, we see learners grow not just in vocabulary, but also in courage and public speaking. It's more than spelling, it's about opening minds,' said Sibisi. Sibisi attributed this event's success to the generous support of local businesses and Ward Councillor Siboniso Ntshangase, whose contributions and commitment to youth development made the day a resounding success. 'We are deeply grateful. Their support shows the power of partnerships in uplifting our communities. As the competition continues to rotate, the NPO hopes to keep building a culture of literacy, one word at a time,' she said. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘If you don't get early years right, children are unlikely to catch up': why South Africa is trying to reboot its school system
When she noticed children hanging around with nothing to do after school in the sprawling Johannesburg township of Soweto in 2016, Faith Nedoboni decided to start an after-school programme. But as she helped them with their homework, she realised many, some as old as 13, were struggling to read and write. Nedoboni, a 57-year-old single mother of three adult children, had never been a teacher. But she was an entrepreneur, first taking over her father's restaurant and grocery store business after his death and then also selling secondhand clothes. Last year, after Nedoboni's eldest daughter, Sindi, 33, returned home from eight years teaching English in China, they turned Konke Academy into a preschool for children up to Grade R (age six), focusing on improving the literacy and numeracy levels that are so low in South Africa. The country's education problems are endemic. More than 80% of 10-year-olds cannot read for meaning, according to the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. South Africa, a middle-income but highly unequal economy, ranked the lowest out of 43 countries surveyed, including several with lower incomes, such as Egypt and Iran. Since the end of apartheid three decades ago, South Africa's government has focused on combining its segregated school systems after the white minority government intentionally made black – 'Bantu' – education worse than that for other races. It also expanded access: in 2022, almost 98% of children aged seven to 17 attended at least some school. Now the country is focusing on early education in a bid to improve outcomes throughout childhood and beyond. 'I don't think we have always got the issue around quality right,' says the basic education minister, Siviwe Gwarube. 'Research tells us, if you don't get literacy and numeracy right in the early years, children are unlikely ever to catch up and as a result they are unlikely to do well in more difficult subjects.' An education bill signed in September last year added a year of compulsory schooling for five- to six-year-olds, known as Grade R. In 2022, early learning centres, then attended by about 45% of three- to five-year-olds, were moved from the department of social development into the department of basic education. This year, the education department aims to bring 10,000 creches on to an official registry, in an effort to regulate and upgrade what are often small businesses run by female entrepreneurs such as Nedoboni in their communities. While the government's efforts to survey and regulate the early learning sector have been praised by experts, its policies are facing a public funding shortage and implementation challenges. On Soweto's eastern edge, Konke Academy is behind an unmarked gate at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in what used to be Nedoboni's parents' home in Diepkloof. It started with eight children but now has 28 enrolled. Like more than 90% of early learning centres surveyed in late 2021 by the education department, Konke charges fees, in this case 600 rand (£25) a month (about a quarter of South African government schools charge fees and one-third of children attend fee-paying schools). Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion 'They have to start as early as possible, starting to read and even to start writing,' Nedoboni says, as the sounds of children playing echo outside. 'If they can start … [aged] two identifying pictures, I think reading can be much better.' The department of basic education taking over early learning centres was a positive step, says Carien Vorster, a regional representative of the Roger Federer Foundation in South Africa, which was set up by the retired tennis player in 2003 in his mother's home country, and which now supports school readiness programmes in six African countries. 'It's not to say that the department of social development didn't do their job,' Vorster says. 'I think they didn't pay enough attention to the education element … but focused on early childhood development more from a health and social protection perspective. 'Probably, that's the reason why we have these learning gaps and why children are not ready for school.' Nutrition remains crucial for children's development, though, says Zaheera Mohamed, the CEO of Ilifa Labantwana, an early childhood development NGO. 'Early learning cannot be understood in isolation,' she says. 'It is starting from the point when a woman is pregnant. If she doesn't get the right types of nutrition, she gives birth to a low-weight baby, which is the highest predictor of stunting.' Stunting in early life is linked to poor educational performance, according to the World Health Organization. Mohamed has called on the government to raise the monthly childhood support grant, which is meant to help poor parents cover their child's basic needs, from 530 rand to 796 rand, the minimum amount it says a person needs to buy 2,100 calories-worth of food a day. According to researchers at the University of Cape Town, 13 million children receive the grant. But 8 million children, most of whose caregivers get the money, still live in households below the food poverty line. The education department's plans also need more funds. Extending Grade R to all children would cost 17bn rand to build new facilities and bring existing infrastructure up to scratch, while regulating early childhood centres has not yet been costed, Gwarube says. In his draft budget speech, the finance minister, Enoch Godongwana, has earmarked an extra 19.1bn rand over three years 'to keep 11,000 teachers in classrooms' and 10bn rand for early childhood development, which includes Grade R. It is not clear whether these will still be in the delayed budget, due to be presented on 12 March. In Soweto, the Nedobonis' main concern, as they try to officially register their preschool and qualify for grants, is the volume of paperwork. To get funding from the Gauteng provincial government to provide food at the centre, for example, they have to submit 12 different types of documentation. 'I am a very informed person … but I truly can't tell you what the process is with this whole registration,' says Sindi Nedoboni. 'I just want to teach.'
