Giving kids a head start: iLIVE

The introduction of compulsory Grade R classes in most schools from next year will help cement a strong foundation on which pupils will be able to build their school careers.

It will also bring the education system in line with those in countries such as the UK and India, where children begin their schooling as early as the age of four.

However, this move will not be possible without intensive early literacy training for teachers, which the Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy recommends takes place with input from non-governmental organisations.

It will also help to lay a solid foundation for the rest of the children's education.

This makes a welcome change to the over-emphasis on the last few years of school, by which time it is too late to fix gaps that have been years in the making.

The introduction of compulsory Grade R classes will mean that the government will have to set aside part of the budget for paying teachers.

This will be a particularly good thing for rural schools, which typically do not have Grade R classes because they can't afford to hire teachers.

Our pupils often perform worse than their peers in other countries .

The excuse proffered is that the tests are too abstract or eurocentric. But the truth is that our standards are lower because we do not stretch our children enough but expect more from them.

It is critical that we teach them in line with international standards, otherwise we cannot expect them to keep pace with the rest of the global community.

The introduction of pre-literacy activities in Grade R - such as how to handle a book, read from left to right, and other gross-motor activities - provides a good foundation for teaching children to read.

However, it takes careful teacher training in a sound early-literacy curriculum to ensure that young children adopt the skills they need to prepare them to acquire reading skills.

To have enough qualified Grade R teachers, the government will need to conduct a lot of in-service training.

What is needed is meaningful, intensive training over the long term by coaches who know what they are doing. We don't need more crash-courses that do more harm than good.

It is vital that the teachers are supported through coaching and mentoring.

The government does not have the resources to conduct this training on its own. It must work with non-government organisations and universities to ensure that teacher training that will render the compulsory introduction of Grade R a resounding success takes place.