Concerted effort needed to stop producing dunces

The Times Editorial: The annual measure of literacy and numeracy, released this week, offers a sobering snapshot of our children's educational ability.

The countrywide assessment of Grade 3 and Grade 6 pupils shows shockingly low levels of competence, with the national average for Grade 3 literacy being 35% and 28% for numeracy.

The results for Grade 6 are similarly negative. The national average for literacy is 28% and for numerical competence 30%.

What this means, in effect, is that we are raising generations of dunces.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, who delivered the results, said they would serve as a benchmark and that the target for the assessments was a 60% average in three years' time.

Motshekga must be blindly optimistic about what her department and the teachers employed by government are able to achieve in such a short time.

To achieve the targets, it would require a Herculean investment in teaching and a commitment from teachers to provide their pupils with adequate learning tools.

What we have witnessed until now, however, are pathetic attempts from political leaders who appear to care more about churning out impressive results for matric.

But matric should be the end result of a consistent investment in education started in the foundation phase of every child's school life. This is when the cornerstones of literacy and numeracy are laid.

Investing in education - from Grade R through to matric - would involve ensuring that books are delivered on time, that teachers are taught how to teach and that libraries are stocked.

Until a long-term commitment to excellence is implemented by parents, teachers and the government, our children will remain on the dunce track.