Most primary school pupils in South Africa are failing tests for basic language and mathematics skills, the Children's Institute reported.
"Poor national averages for language and mathematics in grades three and six show that most learners do not acquire the skills and understanding that give substance to the right to education." said the Children's Institute in a statement. On the contrary Zimbabwe has the highest overall literacy rate in Southern Africa at 90 percent followed, according to the latest United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation statistics
on literacy in Africa.
The report found that only 36% of grade three pupils passed literacy and 35% numeracy. Grade
six pupils also performed badly as only 38% passed literacy and 27% mathematics. Access to education ‘not enough’
This poor performance was despite South Africa's high student enrolment rate of 96%.
"South Africa has a high enrolment rate for grades one through nine, but simply being enrolled in school is not enough to ensure meaningful access to education, or meaningful learning outcomes."
The report said that access to education was not enough. Children also required adequate textbooks, "competent and prepared teachers", a curriculum that built a strong foundation, better teaching facilities and laboratories, and a safe environment.
"Many schools still operate on a budget that does not allow for the delivery of quality education or the provision of school infrastructure that assists learning.
"More importantly, school funding excludes teacher salaries, which limits the impact on learner outcomes," said the institute's Katharine Hall.
Where are we heading as a nation? Surely the problem is not with the child, but the system. It is about time that we introspect on our methods of teaching and assessing learners. Without education we are breading a nation of ignorence and anarchy.
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Our education system need to stay clear of political meddling where it is mostly used to score political points, preying on the level of ignorance engulfing our gullible parent population. Furthermore a total overhaul of the entire education system is swiftly needed, it is irrelevant and doesn't address or serve the societal needs. A learner studies for 12 years something that is in no way related or have any bearing to what he/she intend pursuing after high school.
ReplyDeleteA matriculated SA citizen will starve in his own country surrounded by available resources, whilst a Zimbabwean high school dropout, for example, will come with no resources other than his/her brain, see and exploit opportunities and make an honest living. Their education system equipped them with real life skills, not certificated individual who can neither read nor write.
In SA children are progressed to next grade not because of their level of competency, but because they failed a grade twice or are too old for the grade they are in - then they are "fast-tracked". How pathetic that is! They are also required to reproduce learned information, rather than apply the knowledge gained. Educators teach, when submitting progression schedules they are told to condone those that failed, in order to send a mellifluous picture and fluke quantified analysis that the imported education system is working.
Our certificated illiterate learners will continue to flood the unemployment statistics if no adequate attention is paid to the ailing education system...
Hi' broer
ReplyDeleteI think everything is still going wrong among other things of the high failure rate were Curriculum 2005, large classroom numbers, poor teacher training and poverty.
The national Education Department reported recently that poverty and lack of skills contributed to a 50% matric drop-out rate.