ACDP welcomes NEEDU Report 2012 on state of Literacy Teaching & Learning in Foundation Phase

MEDIA RELEASE
Cheryllyn Dudley MP
3 May 2013


ACDP welcomes NEEDU Report 2012 on state of Literacy Teaching & Learning in Foundation Phase

* it is in foundation phase where education battle is won or lost

* questions why teachers still not in school, on time, teaching

* calls on government to hold teaching profession to professional standards


ACDP Member of Parliament and spokesperson on Education, Cheryllyn Dudley today said that: "the ACDP sees the NEEDU National Report 2012 as a necessary guide to intervention strategies to remedy shortcomings in educational practice and to eliminate barriers to quality education.

The mandate of the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) is to provide the Department with expert advice, on those factors that inhibit or advance school improvement.

"The ACDP sincerely hopes that these observations and recommendations will result in important breakthroughs.

"The ACDP is particularly pleased that efforts have been focused on the quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase, as concerns about the poor levels of reading among learners, especially those in the first few years of schooling have been mounting and it is in the foundation phase where for many learners, the education battle is won or lost."

The NEEDU report provides evidence of where schools are falling short in teaching young learners to read, as well as evidence of good practice that can be learned from.

Problem areas include difficulties experienced by teachers and learners regarding language issues and a lack of sufficient monitoring of learner reading.

In 2012 English was introduced as a compulsory First Additional Language in all African language speaking schools.  "The ACDP recognises the importance of this and supports efforts to ensure learners have a solid grounding in English to assist them when they move from the Foundation Phase to the Intermediate Phase.

"It is of course, just as important that a good grounding in a learner’s Home Language is prioritised and we welcome the new policy that will come into effect in 2014 mandating the learning of an African language in all schools.

"The ACDP calls on government to commit fully to doing everything possible to ensure that the teaching profession is held to professional standards.

"The departments promises regarding improving accountability measures, across the system, to ensure that all teachers are in school, on time, regularly, and teaching - begs the question ‘why have we waited till now - this is not exactly a new revelation!’

"The people of South Africa are frustrated that it is taking so long to deliver an improved quality of education to meet the human resource development needs of the country and to end poverty and inequality."


For more information contact Cheryllyn Dudley, MP, 082 890 6520 (SMS best for urgent response)