The DBE, in 2016, began with the implementation of the Primary Schools Reading Improvement Programme (PSRIP), in which teachers in the General Education and Training (GET) bands were trained on how to teach reading in English First Additional Language (EFAL). Developed in collaboration with the NECT, and with funding from the ETDP SETA, the programme supplied participating subject advisors and teachers with structured training sessions and materials to improve the facilitation of EFAL classes. Eight years later, in 2024, Phase 1 of an impact assessment on the PSRIP was conducted.

The Director for Curriculum Research at the DBE, Dr Aaron Nkosi, presented the initial findings of Phase 1 of the impact assessment of the PSRIP to provincial coordinators and subject advisors on 6 March 2025, as they have been instrumental in the implementation of PSRIP and the data collection for the study. In his presentation, Dr Nkosi mentioned the importance of employing triangulation to cross-check the findings on the impact of the PSRIP on reading outcomes. “While the first phase of this study focused on teachers’ knowledge, practices and attributes, the second phase - to be implemented in a few weeks - is designed to evaluate the impact of PSRIP based on evidence of learner performance. We need to ensure that the conclusions we derive from this study are well-supported as they will not only determine whether there is a need to improve PSRIP but will also have relevance for the teaching of Reading in initial teacher education programmes,” said Dr Nkosi.

Chief Director for the National Institute for Curriculum and Professional Development (NICPD), Mr Tinti Rabotapi, briefly joined the meeting and spoke on the importance of measuring the impact of teacher development programmes on learner outcomes, and how the insights collected from the studies feed into the system, thereby providing credible data on which decisions for interventions are based. 

During the meeting, the subject advisors provided valuable insights to the survey instruments for Phase 2, which included the development of an online research tool for EFAL in the foundation and intermediate phases. Together with Prof Veronica McKay, the group extended and aligned the Continuous Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) impact tool developed by Prof Yusuf Sayed from Cambridge University, defining key indicators for assessing the strengths and identifying areas for further strengthening.

The meeting concluded with a discussion of the study sample and the timelines for the various deliverables, which include the submission and analysis of the data before presenting a report to the different structures of the Department of Basic Education.