The DBE and the University of Pretoria (UP), will soon rollout a life-changing programme under the title, the Enabling Schools Project, focusing on primary schools in South Africa. According to Dr Phumzile Langa, Director for the Rural Education Directorate, the partnership will assist the DBE in improving quality education at primary school level, provided that it has considered the holistic development of learners in the rural context. The programme is scheduled to commence in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District in the North-West Province during the current school calendar. “This partnership came at the appropriate time since COVID-19 continues to hinder learning progress as outlined in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS). The fact that learners are attending classes on a rotational basis, is a call for concern. The DBE and Provincial Education Department (PEDs) are commended for their consistent strategic intervention aimed at protecting teaching time against the inevitable COVID-19 resurgence. I am optimistic that the programme will assist the Department in strengthening literacy and numeracy at the General Education and Training (GET) level,” said Dr Langa.

Prof Liesel Ebersöhn, Director for the Centre for the Study of Resilience Education Psychology at UP, said that the Enabling Schools toolkit has been developed for engaging school leaders, teachers and former education assistants to create a reading for joy culture in primary schools. “The toolkit supplements existing policies, practices and structures in the South African education system. It includes CAPS-informed age and content-appropriate materials, incorporates lessons learnt from the Rural Education Assistants Programme and grafts onto the dedicated and explicit instruction time for reading in the designated existing reading period in primary schools. Reading is a foundational skill for learning. Acquiring basic reading skills at early grades enables children to learn other subjects with confidence to progress successfully through school. Reading is a gateway for advancing social justice. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) statistics show that children who don’t read by age 10 usually fail to thrive later in school, and don’t acquire the human capital they need to power their careers once they leave school. Enabling children to read holds the key to reducing learning poverty. Increasing reading enjoyment and engagement reduces reading achievement gaps amongst children from different socioeconomic backgrounds and gender. Intervening early enhances children’s education outcomes, increasing their expected lifetime income from employment, and increasing their potential for future prosperity,” elaborated Prof Ebersöhn.