BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the solution to improved literacy levels in South Africa is in improving work in the foundation phase. This follows the release of the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) Results this week.
“The 2016 PIRLS results, are lower than what we had expected. The score of the Grade 4 learners is significantly below the PIRLS centre point of 500; while 78 per cent of the Grade 4 learners, were unable to reach the lowest benchmark,” said Minister Motskehkga.
The study measured literacy rates between 2011 and 2016 and saw South African learners come last in the study.
Results show dismal performance and efficiency in reading by Grade 4 learners, the grade considered the most crucial for learners. It is from this grade when learners begin to use reading to learn in other subjects.
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The Minister said the results are of particular concern because the attainment of an improved and quality education system rests on the shoulders of the early grades that set the foundation for higher grades.
Illiteracy at this point, is compounded by the transition of some learners who use home languages and have to transition to using English in Grade 4.
Reflections of the 2016 PIRLS Report include:
More than 60 per cent of the learners who participated in the 2016 PIRLS, came from rural schools. This is poignant when considering the dearth of literature in the home languages dominant is such areas.
The highest performing test languages for Grade 4 learners were English (with 372 points) and Afrikaans (with 369 points); and the lowest were isiXhosa (with 283 points) and Sepedi (with 276 points).
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Grade 4 and 5 learners in schools with libraries, obtained higher mean scores, than those in schools without libraries.
Some 49 per cent of the Grade 5 learners were unable to reach the lowest benchmark, compared to four per cent internationally.
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