Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has launched an ambitious R1.2 billion programme to see children get “back on track” following chaotic disruptions to the academic programme as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Education MEC David Maynier launched the #BackOnTrack programme at the Hazendal Primary School in Athlone on Thursday.
The programme was the largest to reverse Covid-19 learning losses undertaken in the Western Cape, the WCED said, and would see R1.2 billion invested over three years to improve learning outcomes for students in the province.
“Earlier this year, we released our 2022 systemic test results for Mathematics and Reading, which confirmed that during the pandemic, learning outcomes fell off a cliff,” Maynier said.
“We simply cannot say that a child is receiving quality education if more than half of our Grade 3, 6, and 9 learners cannot achieve the basic pass score for maths and reading.”
Maynier said 333 schools had been selected to receive targeted support based on the systemic test results, in addition to the 1 100 schools already receiving extra support in the Foundation Phase since 2022.
“The new schools selected will identify 126 000 learners, 8 980 teachers and 28 000 parents targeted for focused participation, in addition to the 310 000 learners and 10 000 teachers already participating in the Foundation Phase.”
Some Grade 4, 7, and 8 learners will be taken out of class every 10 days for targeted support, and Grade 12 learners will participate in bi-weekly online afternoon sessions with expert presenters.
Grades 4, 7 and 8 will now have #BackOnTrack classes on Saturdays, and extra time will be allocated for Mathematics and Reading, which had been piloted last year, within the school day in the Foundation phase.
The programme will be monitored through the #BackOneTrack War Room, with the first to be held today.
Hazendal principal Warren Rossiter said: “We are very excited to be part of the #BackOnTrack programme. We are in the process of recovering losses of learning time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which we suffered a few years ago, and we are very glad that the Western Cape government has come to support us in driving and funding this programme.”