The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) presented 60 School Awards for Meritorious Achievement in Literacy and Numeracy at a gala function in Pinelands last night (Wednesday, 22 May 2008).

Cameron Dugmore, MEC for Education, and top WCED officials presented the awards for the first time at a function held to mark the delivery of the 2008/09 Education Budget in the provincial legislature earlier in the day.

The WCED’s top priority is the development of literacy and numeracy skills of learners in primary schools.

The department has surveyed learner performance every year since 2002, alternating between Grade 3 and 6.

The studies have provided extensive data on the challenges facing literacy and numeracy in the province. The WCED is implementing a comprehensive literacy and numeracy strategy based on the findings of these studies.

In October and November 2007, the WCED assessed the literacy and numeracy skills of 71,874 Grade 6 learners from 1,034 schools in the province

The studies have shown that our learners are making steady progress in literacy, but still struggle with mathematics.

While the results reflect the challenges we face, they also show that many schools are making progress, often in difficult circumstances.

We have to acknowledge all those responsible this achievement, especially our school principals and teachers who have taken on the challenge and who are making a difference.

We celebrate our successful matrics every year and the high schools they attended. Now it is the turn of our primary schools and combined schools with primary school learners.

The WCED has decided to acknowledge these schools for the first time in 2008 by presenting awards for special achievement in either literacy or numeracy, or in both.

The department will present awards tonight according to criteria based on excellent and progressively consistent performance in Grade 6 tests from 2003 to 2007.

The awards also recognise achievement of schools operating in particular social and economic contexts, according to the quintile in which they are classified.

Education departments classify schools in five categories called quintiles, according to poverty rankings. The poorest schools are in quintile one and the least poor in quintile five.

The WCED awarded schools in the following categories:

Category 1: Performance Excellence in Outcomes

Category 1(a) Performance Excellence of Outcomes

The WCED presented awards to four schools in this category where the performance in both numeracy and literacy in 2003, 2005 and 2007 illustrates consistently meritorious outcomes. The department measured excellence in terms of both the best pass rates and mean scores.

All awardees received a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R12 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

The schools identified in this category are:

School Name	EMDC	Quintile	Overall Average %
Oakhurst Girls PS	Central	5	88.1
Rondebosch Boys Prep	Central	5	87.5
Buffelsfontein LS	Eden/Karoo	4	72.8
Bonnievale HS	Overberg	4	65.1

Category 1(b) - Excellence of outcomes in Literacy

Six schools have won awards in this category, where performance in Literacy in 2003, 2005 and 2007 has illustrated consistently meritorious outcomes. The schools achieved the best pass rates and mean scores.

All awardees received a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R12 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

Category 1(c) - Excellence of Outcomes in Numeracy

Three schools have won awards on this category, where the performance in Numeracy in 2003, 2005 and 2007 have illustrated consistently meritorious outcomes. The schools achieved the best pass rates and mean scores.

The schools received a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R12 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support material.

Category 2: Improvement in Performance in the Context within which a School Operates

Category 2(a) – Improvement in overall performance

Ten schools received awards in this category. They have shown the greatest improvement in Numeracy and Literacy in 2003, 2005 and 2007 in contexts defined by their particular quintile classification. The award acknowledges improvement in both pass rates and mean scores.

The schools each received a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R15 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

Category 2(b) – Improvement in Literacy

Seven schools received awards for showing the greatest improvement in Literacy over the period 2003 to 2007 within particular contexts defined by the quintiles in which the schools are classified. Improvement is measured in terms of both pass rates and mean scores.

All awardees will receive a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R12 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

Category 2 (c) – Improvement in Numeracy

Seven schools received awards for showing the greatest improvement in Numeracy over the period 2003 to 2007, within particular contexts defined by the quintile in which they are classified. Improvement is measured in terms of both pass rates and mean scores.

The award acknowledges improvement in both pass rates and mean scores. All awardees will receive a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R12 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

Category 3: Improvement in Literacy - Language Transformation Schools

The WCED presented awards to two schools that have chosen to write the Literacy test in IsiXhosa and have shown the greatest improvement in Literacy over the period 2003 to 2007. The schools, participants in thye WCED’s Language Transformation Programme, have shown improvement in both pass rates and mean scores.

The schools received a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R15 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

Category 4: Improvement in Performance in the Context of the 21 Areas of the Premier

Twenty-one schools received awards in this category, for showing the greatest improvement in performance in both Numeracy and Literacy over the period 2003, 2005 and 2007, within particular context defined by quintiles, in the 21 areas identified by the Premier for special attention. The awards have taken both pass rates and mean scores into account.

The schools each received a certificate as well as a monetary incentive of R15 000 for purchasing teaching and learning support materials.

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi 082 528 8278.

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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