DBE reveals repetition of grades by learners costs billions

The Department of Basic Education has revealed with concern that the repetition of grades by learners costs billions, taking up to 8% of its budget.

The finding is contained in the department’s Funda Uphumelele report, which is a national survey for examined reading outcomes of grades 1 to 4 learners.

The same report has found that 15% of grade 3 learners nationally scored zero on reading assessments.

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Research shows that South Africa is spending about R20 billion on repeating learners instead of teaching them how to read early.

The evidence from the survey shows that repeating grade 1 can boost learning in the short term; however, those gains fade quickly as pupils move through the system.

Researchers have raised that it would be better to redirect those funds to early childhood development (ECD).

The added that structured reading programmes in early grades deliver strong and lasting results.

The experts have warned that unless funding shifts to early literacy, the cycle of failure and cost will continue.