South African Journal of Childhood Education 5(1):105-124 The school readiness performance of a group of Grade R learners in primary schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa
Type
E-Journal
Authors
ISSN
2223-7682
Category
ECCE, Foundation
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Publication Year
2015
Publisher
Aosis OpenJournals, Durbanville, Cape Town, South Africa
URL
[ private ]
Pages
20 p.
Subject
Early childhood education, Primary education, Grade R, School readiness, School readiness test, School readiness performance, Kindergarten, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Tags
Abstract
Grade R is the year before learners in South Africa start formal schooling and has been part of the General Education Training Band (GET) since 1998. New efforts are being made to enable all five- to six-year-olds to attend a Grade R class. The nine provinces of South Africa approach this problem in different ways. Some of them, like Gauteng, try to establish Grade R classes at primary schools, but in the process seem to appoint many teachers with only minimum qualifications. This article reports on research requested by the Gauteng Department of Education about the school readiness of Grade R learners. The school readiness performance of 114 Grade R learners was measured by means of a standardized school readiness test. The results confirmed the worst fears of department officials: most of the participants were not school ready after attending a year in a Grade R class. The article concludes with some recommendations, among others that attention should be given to the qualifications of teachers and that parents should become more involved.
Description
Article
Number of Copies
1
