South African school children are improving on their foundation-level literacy scores, which bodes well for their future learning outcomes.

This was one of the messages from Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education, following yesterday’s release of the Annual National Assessments Results for 2013.

A recommitment to improve education quality from the formative years up has seen a new focus on foundation level skills, she says.

The 2013 assessments were conducted in Grades 1 to 6 and Grade 9. The test administration of ANA took place from 10 to 13 September 2013 in all public and state-funded independent schools.

In Grade 1, the national average performance in Literacy is 60%. It was 58% in 2012. In Numeracy, the national average performance is 60%, from 68% in 2012. In Grade 2, the national average performance in Literacy is 57%, compared to 55% in 2012. In Numeracy, it is 59%, from 57% in 2012.

In Grade 3, the national average performance in Literacy stands at 51% as compared to 52% in 2012, registering a decrease of 1%. While in Numeracy our learners are performing at an average of 53% as compared to 41% in 2012, an improvement of 12% from 2012.

In Grade 4, the national average performance in Language is 49% for Home Language and 39% for First Additional Language, compared to 43% in Home Language and 34% in First Additional Language in 2012.

In Grade 4, the average for Numeracy is 37%. It was also 37% in 2012. In Grade 5, the national average performance in Language is 46% for Home Language and 37% for First Additional Language, compared to 40% in Home Language and 30% in First Additional Language in 2012. In Numeracy, the national average performance is 33%, up from 30% in 2012.

In Grade 6, the national average performance in Language is 59% in Home Language as compared to 43% in 2012 and 46% in First Additional Language as compared to 36% in 2012.

This is an improvement of 16% in Home Language and 10% in First Additional Language. For Mathematics, the average performance is 39% as compared to 27% in 2012. In Grade 9, the national average performance in Language stands at 43% (Home Language) as compared to 43% in 2012, and 33% (First Additional Language) as compared to 35% in 2012.

There is no change in Home Language; but a decrease of 2% in First Additional Language. In Mathematics, in Grade 9 the national average is 14%, compared to 13% in 2012.
The different levels of performance with learners performing above 50% for Literacy/Language show that:

* In Grade 1, 71% of learners achieved above 50%, from 64% in 2012.

* In Grade 2, 65% of learners achieved above 50%, from 64% in 2012.

* In Grade 3, 57% of learners achieved above 50%, the same as 2012.

* In Grade 4, 52% of learners in Home Language and 31% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50%, from 41% (Home Language) and 25% (First Additional Language) in 2012.

* In Grade 5, 45% of learners in Home Language and 27% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50%, from 37% (Home Language) and 16% (First Additional Language) in 2012.

* In Grade 6, 68% of learners in Home Language and 41% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50% in Language, compared to 39% in Home Language and 24% in First Additional Language in 2012.

* In Grade 9, 37% of learners in Home Language and 17% of learners in First Additional Language achieved above 50% in Language, compared to 39% in Home Language and 21% in First Additional Language in 2012.

In terms of the different levels of performance for Numeracy/Mathematics:

* In Grade 1, 71% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 77% in 2012.

* In Grade 2, 70% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 68% in 2012.

* In Grade 3, 59% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 36% in 2012.

* In Grade 4, 27% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 26% in 2012.

* In Grade 5, 21% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 16% in 2012.

* In Grade 6, 27% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 11% in 2012.

* In Grade 9, 3% of learners achieved above 50%, compared to 2% in 2012.

Motshekga says she is confident that performance in the education system is on an upward trend and that interventions and programmes are beginning to produce the desired outcomes.

“Learner achievement in both Language and Mathematics in the Foundation Phase is largely of adequate quality and level,” she says.

Motshekga adds that a number of studies have been completed into Foundation Phase reading as well as on Maths, Science and Reading.

“One of our key challenges is learner performance in schools at the bottom end of the performance spectrum making it difficult for all children to benefit from education of a high quality,” she says. “The Senior Phase (Grades 7-9), requires immediate attention. It is quite clear even from the performance of Grade 9 learners in the Annual National Assessments that we should channel maximum energy to this area.

“I therefore want to make bold to say in the next three years, the system should prepare for externally set exams encompassing the Senior Phase. Next year ANA should be extended to include the entire Senior Phase because clearly there are challenges that need sorting out in this phase.

“We trust that with the roll-out of the new curriculum reaching this phase, we will be able to address underperformance and begin to see changes that had been experienced in those phases we’ve already covered, the lower grades.”

However, she says investigations show that this is dependent upon other critical actions that need to be undertaken by the entire system, including: strengthening monitoring, evaluation and support; strengthening support for subject advisors and teachers and continuing with teacher training with a deliberate focus on content and methodology, per term, per grade.

“In 2014, support and monitoring of CAPS will be intensified as all grades will be implementing. In 2014 and beyond, facilities of Dinaledi High Schools will be made available to primary school learners. Changes are to be made to the grant framework to accommodate the formation of the Maths, Science and Technology (MST) Directorate as per recommendations of the Ministerial MST Task-team.”

A Mathematics, Science and Technology directorate will be established in 2014. The findings and recommendations of the Ministerial Task-team on MST will be used to strengthen the teaching and learning of MST in schools.

The ANA assessments have become a method of providing overall system feedback to inform the Department and the sector on literacy and numeracy levels, Motshekga says.