1. The national Department of Education (DoE) launched the Foundations for Learning Campaign in May 2008.

2. Documents

The DoE is currently sending the following documents directly to schools in the Western Cape:

  • Government Gazette, 14 March 2008, No 30880: Foundations for Learning Campaign 2008 - 2011
  • Foundations for Learning, Assessment Framework: Intermediate Phase
  • Foundations for Learning, Assessment Framework: Foundation Phase
  • National Reading Strategy Document
3. Purpose

The campaign gives clear guidelines to Foundation and Intermediate Phase teachers on how to improve the Literacy/Language and Numeracy/Mathematics levels of their learners. The goal is to increase the pass rate of learners in Literacy and Numeracy to at least 50% for their grade by 2011. The campaign does this by

  • setting milestones for each term per grade in these two learning programmes/learning areas;
  • giving an outline of possible lesson segments and the amount of time which should be spent on each, e.g. mental mathematics -10 minutes; and
  • giving the knowledge and skills which should be covered by each formal assessment task along with a suggested assessment tool.
4. Advocacy

The Campaign is to be launched by the WCED on 1 November 2008. Invitations have been sent to all primary schools in the province. The purpose of the launch is to convey the key message of the campaign and elaborate on the roles and responsibilities of the various role players.


5. Planning

The WCED is busy developing a detailed work schedule and teacher's guide for each learning programme in the Foundation Phase and each learning area in the Intermediate Phase to support teachers within the framework of the Campaign. The work schedules are to be distributed to schools by January 2009 and have been guided by the Foundations for Learning documents. Electronic versions will be available in late November 2008 at http://curriculum.pgwc.gov.za.


6. Training

The WCED is to rollout a process of systemic training in Literacy/Languages and Numeracy/Mathematics to all Grade 1 - 6 teachers at all public schools. The first phase of the training in 2009/10 will involve 250 schools. Teachers from 125 selected schools will be trained and supported over the two-year period in Literacy/Language content and methodology. A further 125 selected schools' teachers will be trained and supported in Numeracy/Mathematics content and methodology. Further phases of this training will be provided from 2010 to all other public primary schools.


7. Learner and Teacher Support Material (LTSM)

To support the implementation of the Campaign, the WCED will be providing the following LTSM to all public primary schools:

  • Reading Schemes for Grades 1 - 6 to all 125 schools selected for the Literacy/Language teacher training. Schools will receive the reading schemes in the year in which their teachers are trained in Literacy/Language methodology.
  • Wall charts for Grades 4 - 6. Each school will receive 60 wall charts in total i.e. four wall charts per grade for Mathematics and Languages and two per grade for the other six learning areas.
  • Top-up of Mental Maths Flipbooks for Grades 1 - 6, i.e. extra copies will be sent to schools that have more classes per grade in 2008 compared to 2005 or whose LoLT has changed. New schools that did not receive the flipbooks in 2005 will receive the full complement for all their classes.

8. Assessment

National assessment has been planned for all Grade 1 - 6 learners in the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) and Numeracy/Mathematics. Districts will distribute the assessment to schools. Further information on the assessment process will be communicated to schools in due course.


9. The WCED requests all the principals, school management teams, teachers and school governing bodies to support the implementation of this campaign. The target of a minimum pass rate of 50% by 2011 will only be achieved if all the role players in the department work together to improve the Literacy and Numeracy performance of learners.


SIGNED: P SATYO
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2008:10:29