Media Release

11 June, 2003


Gaum tackles challenges of literacy and numeracy

Statement by André Gaum, Western Cape Education Minister

During my budget speech last year, I announced that I had requested my department to develop comprehensive strategies to improve learner performance in literacy and numeracy in all our schools. This announcement was made before we had even commenced with our testing of literacy and numeracy skills of grade 3 learners.

Thanks to the work that has been done last year to develop these strategies, we are now in a position where we are already rolling out these strategies across the province.

We compiled the strategies following studies at provincial, national and international levels that have indicated poor learner performance in literacy and numeracy in the province and the country as a whole.

The latest study released by the national Education Minister, Professor Kader Asmal, has confirmed the findings of the studies commissioned by the WCED.

The studies commissioned by the WCED include two research projects last year on learner performance in literacy and numeracy in Grade 3.

The aim of the first study was to develop and pilot a test that could then be applied in primary schools across the province. The second study investigated the literacy and numeracy skills of 29 220 Grade 3 at all 866 primary schools in the Western Cape.

The study found that more than 60% of learners in the Western Cape are not achieving the reading and numeracy learning outcomes at the level set in the national curriculum.

The study found that only 37% of Grade 3 learners in the province could perform at Grade 3 level or higher in numeracy, while only 32% of Grade 3 learners are reading at the Grade 3 level.

The reasons for this poor performance include too little time spent on reading, writing and calculating, poor understanding of the levels that learners should be achieving, and poor teaching practices.

There is an obvious correlation between poverty and levels of learner performance, levels of available teaching skills, and teaching experience, to some extent.

We launched comprehensive strategies this year designed to improve learner performance in literacy and mathematics, science and technology, which are closely aligned to the required outcomes of the national curriculum.

The strategies include teacher training, development of learner support materials, special interventions and diagnostic testing to identify problems early, so that we can act on them appropriately as soon as possible.

We are providing the test results to every participating schools and will work with them to develop the skills necessary to improve learner performance, through our Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) in every school district.

We are developing a systematic programme of monitoring and support, focusing on the basics needed to improve reading, writing and numeracy skills, as part of our strategy to improve learner performance across the board in the Western Cape.

This programme includes providing:

  • The test results to every participating school and our EMDCs, to ensure that they understand the precise challenges they are facing in their particular schools and districts;
  • Year programmes to every Foundation Phase teacher, including benchmarks for assessing reading, writing and numeracy skills;
  • 100 reading books for every Foundation Phase classroom in 2004;
  • A mathematics text book for every Foundation Phase classroom in 2004; and
  • A mathematics, science and technology kit for every school in 2004.

Our EMDCs will organise training courses, workshops and school-based support in every district, supported by in-depth, in-service training programmes at our new Cape Teaching Institute for both teachers and principals.

These strategies will include the various projects we already have in place, such as the Reading Schools programme, and a range of interventions to improve performance in mathematics and science.

We will encourage parents to become more involved in developing their children’s literacy and numeracy skills, and will continue working with partners in other sectors who are working with us to promote literacy and numeracy in our schools.

As far as literacy is concerned, these partnerships include those between the WCED and:

  • The Cape Talk "Books for Africa" campaign, the Old Mutual and Renault, who are assisting us in obtaining and distributing donations of books;
  • Magazine publishers, who are providing magazines for reading material, especially for high schools;
  • The national READ project;
  • Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE), who are providing books sponsored by Rotary, and who are assisting our EMDCs with teacher training;
  • The Scientific and Industrial Leadership Initiative (SAILI), who are supporting early literacy in a multi-lingual context, using books specifically written for the project.

Literacy and numeracy provide the foundation for every teaching and learning programme. We will do everything possible to ensure that our learners have the firm foundation they need to further their education.


Inquiries: Rudi Buys 082 577 6551


©2003 WCED