Durban - South African schoolchildren were eventually operating at the right levels for the grade in which they were studying, after years of being behind the curve educationally, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Monday.
Addressing the African Renaissance 2016 conference, Motshekga revealed the country had achieved the 500-point mark in the latest Southern and Eastern African Consortium Benchmark report, to be released next month.
The point count meant pupils in Grade 3 were educationally operating at Grade 3 levels rather than Grade 1, for example.
However, the focus into the future was continuing to get the right level of learning in the classrooms because there was still “much work to be done to transform the education system”.
“Despite the government’s investment into schools and education, it is clear the performance (of education) is not where it should be with too many poor learners still unable to achieve basic reading, arithmetic and comprehension,” she said.
Motshekga said the government was also reviewing the academic versus vocational approach to education, recognising not everyone was academically inclined and thus university material.
From next year, vocational and trade skills would also be encouraged within schools to ensure non-academic pupils could graduate from secondary school with a trade skill.
The aim of introducing artisan schools was to triple the number of artisans in the country.
She said currently the German education system focused 60% of its schooling education towards technical training.
Her comments come in line with the government’s stated objective for transforming basic education to be equitable, accessible and a promoter of life-long learning.
Complicating the country’s educational issues was that 26% of South African schools were not viable because there were too few pupils and two or three teachers were forced to teach grades R to 12.
In the Eastern Cape, there were more than 1 000 schools with fewer than 50 pupils and Motshekga believed these facilities had to be closed down to maximise resources and enhance teaching and learning.
Motshekga also berated South Africa for being a non-reading nation with 85% of the population not opening books for educational or recreational reasons. This was the polar opposite of Russia, where only 5% were non-readers.
“Children must see their parents reading if we want to encourage a nation of readers.
“Children who witness their parents just watching television will follow suit, but children must first read for pleasure if they are later to read for information,” she said.
Daily News