GROUNDUP: Foundation Phase textbook delays threaten SA’s literacy push

South Africa's initiative to provide Foundation Phase textbooks for grades 1 to 3 in public schools faces a significant setback due to delays in the procurement process. The rollout remains suspended over concerns about the bidding and procurement procedures, leaving schools uncertain about the availability of new materials for the upcoming academic year.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has suspended the new catalogue, which includes resources for maths, home language, first additional language, and life skills, based on the latest research to improve literacy as per the National Literacy Strategy.

Despite the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study indicating that more than 80% of Grade 4 learners were unable to read for meaning in any language, the new catalogue's development aims to address these literacy challenges. However, Dr Amy Sarah Padayachee, an education lecturer at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, warns that the suspension could set back South Africa's efforts to eradicate illiteracy.

She explains that learners entering Grade 1 in 2027 will complete Grade 3 in 2029, meaning that the learners affected by the materials' delay are those who should demonstrate improved foundational outcomes as the country approaches 2030.

The new catalogue, expected to be based on research-based materials, integrates coding and robotics concepts alongside mathematics, aiming to strengthen home-language literacy instruction and improve the sequencing and practice of foundational skills in early grades. However, uncertainty looms over whether the new books will be ready in time for the 2027 academic year.

Schools and provincial education departments have been advised to use the dated 15-year-old catalogue to supplement learning materials until the new ones are available. Basic Education Minister Gwarube maintains that the new catalogue is not cancelled, but the decision to extend the suspension is influenced by legal advice and concerns over governance weaknesses, non-compliance, and potential financial risks.

Provincial departments are tasked with procuring and distributing materials in time for schools to begin the academic year properly resourced. The impact of the delay is likely to vary depending on the existing resources of schools. Well-resourced schools may experience minimal disruption, while schools already facing shortages might struggle significantly.

Dr Padayachee emphasizes that lawful procurement and classroom delivery are crucial, urging for swift resolution to ensure no learner enters a Foundation Phase classroom unprepared for the 2027 academic year.