Cape Town - Not having had homelands within the borders of the Western Cape gave the province an advantage, which is why it performed better than the other eight provinces in the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls).
The Pirls report measures the literacy rates of Grade 4 pupils and revealed that 78% of pupils in Grade 4 are not able to read in any language.
Some of the findings include: eight out of 10 children in South Africa in that grade cannot read. The country also came last in reading out of 50 countries, while the reading level in the country has remained stagnant since 2011.
Basil Manuel, president of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, said the Western Cape had a bit of a head start. “They started with an advantage. It was the one province that didn’t have homelands within its borders, so they didn’t have that deficit.
“The other provinces have had to play catch up and that takes a long time.”
Manuel said the Western Cape was one province that didn’t focus on “silly issues” and was a leader in focusing on real curriculum issues. “They have quite an organised administration and they ought to do better.”
He said the province also had a high number of parents involved in their children’s education, but added that access to reading books was needed.
“The schools do not have enough books at that level. And the schools do not send books home with children, they do not have anything to read.
“(Also) in Grade 3 there are only three subjects, while in Grade 4 you have six subjects. If you do not master it in Grade 3, who will have time to teach you?”
Manuel said the focus on matrics needed to stop and more attention needed to be paid to primary schools.
University of Pretoria education expert Professor Kobus Maree said the Western Cape had a well functioning education department and other provinces could have the same if politics stayed out of schools.
“It is well known that the Western Cape is well administered and there are no high levels of corruption. From where I am sitting, there is a wonderful collaboration between the education department and the district offices.”
He said other provinces needed to join hands with the Western Cape for the benefit of their pupils.
“There are many well functioning schools in other provinces, they must just forget about politics and join hands and there will be a difference.”
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer’s spokesperson, Jessica Shelver, said the priority of the Western Cape Education Department for many years has been to improve performance in language and mathematics. “These subjects provide the foundation needed for all learning.”