The DBE welcomes the release of the 2030 Reading Panel Report, which shares critical insights required in improving reading proficiency in the General Education and Training (GET) band. The Reading Panel was convened by Umlambo Foundation Chairperson, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, at Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on 25 February 2025.
The Reading Panel supports the DBE’s commitment towards ensuring that all children are groomed to master reading for meaning by 2030. The Reading Panel comprises of language experts, researchers and education experts. Deputy Director-General for DBE’s Transformation Programmes, Dr Naledi Mbude-Mehana, represented the DBE during the Reading Panel discussion and interactive session.
The Reading Panel acknowledges the sterling work done by various PEDs in investing resources aimed at improving reading proficiency in the early grades. The Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and Gauteng Provinces are supporting schools in mastering the teaching of reading: “The four provinces are at different stages of implementing assessments at primary level to measure learner outcomes and allocate resources accordingly. The Western Cape’s systemic tests were first implemented in 2006 to measure Mathematics and Language outcomes of all Grade 3, 6 and 9 learners through a written assessment. The Eastern Cape recently piloted assessments in Grade 1 and 3 to measure foundational skills and comprehension, with plans to use the data to categorise schools for differentiated support and allocate resources at school level. The Free State collects Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) data from a sample of 150 schools in Home Language and English First Additional Language (EFAL) each year. This is a clear indication that provinces can share best practice in improving reading proficiency, the Reading Panel agreed.
The Reading Panel also reported that Home Language (HL) impacts learner performance in EFAL and might lead to grade repetition, if underestimated. “A recent study highlights the importance of HL reading proficiency by the end of Grade 3 as a predictor of Grade 4 repetition and higher EFAL outcomes. This adds to the body of knowledge on positive linguistic transfer, in particular, the work of the EGRA, which demonstrates that investment in HL in the foundation phase has positive spillover effects on the second language (in this case EFAL). In addition, longitudinal data from the EGRA provides some of the first evidence on sustained impacts on learner performance, including a decrease in repetition, after an effective HL intervention in the foundation phase.
In her address during the reading panel discussion, Dr Mbude-Mehana acknowledged the work done by the Reading Panel in improving quality learning and teaching, focusing specifically on home language teaching. “The DBE remains determined to accelerate the implementation of MTbBE in the Basic Education Sector. As a Sector we should take a stand against inequality in terms of home language teaching as a subject and a language of learning and teaching in schools. Schools should be encouraged to promote home language teaching across all phases of the schooling system. This will assist the Sector in ensuring that all home languages are equally recognized as protected by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” said Dr Mbude-Mehana.