Statement by Yousuf Gabru, MEC for Education in the Western Cape

The literacy skills of Grade 3 learners continue to show improvement in the Western Cape, according to the latest diagnostic tests commissioned by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).

Grade 3 numeracy skills have also improved, but still lag far behind improvements in literacy.

The WCED has commissioned extensive research every year since 2002 into literacy and numeracy performance in the Western Cape, alternating between Grade 3 and 6, at the end of the foundation and intermediate phases of primary schooling.

The department uses the studies to inform a comprehensive programme to improve literacy and numeracy performance in the province.

The WCED targets the entire cohort of learners in Grades 3 and 6, to make it possible to drill down to learner, class, school, circuit, district and provincial level, to test progress and to identify areas needing further attention.

A total of 74 119 learners at 1 066 primary schools took part in the study across the Western Cape. The test was the fourth study of Grade 3 learners since 2002. The studies have used the same test items to ensure comparable results from year to year.

The test was administered over a four-week period in October and November 2008, in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

The study included test items for Grades 1, 2 and 3, to test the levels at which Grade 3 learners could effectively operate. The WCED set a pass mark for the test at 50%.

The pass rate for literacy has improved by 17.8% since testing began in 2002, when 35.7% of learners achieved more than 50%. This improved to 39.5% in 2004, 47.7% in 2006 and 53.5% in 2008.

The pass rate for numeracy has fluctuated from 37.1% and 37.3% in 2002 and 2004, to 31% in 2006 and 35% in 2008.

Progress to date in literacy compares favourably with literacy programmes anywhere in the world, but we have to ensure further improvement.

We are more concerned about numeracy. While numeracy results have improved slightly since 2006, we have a long way to go before we can feel satisfied with our results.

	2002	2004	2006	2008
Literacy	35.7%	39.5%	47.7%	53.5%
Numeracy	37.1%	37.3%	31%	35%

Table 1: Literacy and numeracy pass rates, 2002 - 2008

The WCED introduced various literacy and numeracy interventions following the initial tests in 2002, followed by a major literacy and numeracy strategy in 2006.

The strategy includes diagnostic tests, classroom support, special teaching and learning support materials, teacher training, special programmes by districts and schools, and family learning activities.

The WCED has formed a team of more than 100 specialists who work full time with schools to improve literacy and numeracy performance.

The department has also appointed more than 500 teaching assistants to support Foundation Phase teachers in poor schools, on a trial basis.

The literacy and numeracy strategy forms part of a long term plan of the WCED to turn education around in the province by building strong foundations for learning in literacy and numeracy in primary schools.

The strategy now forms part of the national Foundations for Learning campaign, launched last year.

The results show that we are making significant progress in some areas, but not in others, and that we still have a lot to do to meet the requirements of the national curriculum.

The good news is that interventions do work, so long as they are well-informed, focused and sustained. This applies in any community.

We will use these results to further refine our literacy and numeracy programme, with a special emphasis on improving maths.

For enquiries, contact Millicent Merton:  072 724 1422 or mmerton@pgwc.gov.za or Paddy Attwell: pattwell@pgwc.gov.za.

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