The outcomes of a four-year study tracking learners from Grade R to Grade 3 in 75 Western Cape schools have revealed a stark difference in learning outcomes.
The Roots & Shoots study found that by Grade 3, only 36% of learners in low-fee schools and 49% in no-fee schools had reached the reading benchmark, compared with 92% of learners in mid-fee schools.
This could spark concerns about the ability of all children to sustain early learning gains as they progress through the Foundation Phase.
School readiness
The findings highlight the challenge facing the education system to ensure that children start school ready to learn and make progress.
The differences were also evident in the proportion of learners classified as on track over the course of the study.
In no-fee schools, the proportion fell from 56% to 40% and in low-fee schools from 58% to 32%. In mid-fee schools, it increased from 88% to 90%.
The study also identified a gender gap in literacy outcomes, with 60% of girls reaching the Grade 3 literacy benchmark, compared with 42% of boys.
Early childhood development
The Department of Basic Education’s policy approach is to ensure that all children have access to “quality early childhood development and two years of quality preschool education by 2030”. The Roots & Shoots study suggests that access alone will not be enough unless schools are also equipped to sustain children’s progress through the Foundation Phase. Dr Heleen Hofmeyr, the study’s lead researcher at Stellenbosch University, said that following the same learners from Grade R to Grade 3 provided a clearer picture of how learning developed.
Progress not guaranteed
“What the findings show is that early advantage is not equally sustained. School context appears to play an important role in whether children remain on track as they move through the Foundation Phase,” Hofmeyr said.
The findings suggest that being school-ready does not guarantee progress, with learning gaps evident at the start of Grade R potentially widening as children move through the early grades.
The Mr Price Foundation, which funds the Roots & Shoots programme, said the findings highlighted the need for a coordinated approach to early learning, from early childhood development (ECD) through to Grade 3.
Closing the gaps
Pain Mashingaidze, the foundation’s education development programme manager, said closing the gaps would require better access to quality ECD, stronger Foundation Phase teaching and the early identification of literacy and numeracy difficulties.
“The challenge is, therefore, not only to help learners who enter school behind to catch up but also to prevent learners who enter school on track from falling behind as they move through the Foundation Phase.”
Mashingaidze told Sunday World that assessments should help teachers understand why learners were struggling, identify suitable interventions and monitor whether they were making progress.
The Roots & Shoots study also provides some solutions that education authorities can enforce.
“Teachers should be supported to use differentiated teaching, flexible learner grouping and targeted catch-up activities during … literacy and numeracy lessons. Learners experiencing more significant difficulties may need additional structured support,” Mashingaidze said.
He also raised concerns about class sizes, saying higher numbers of learners limited teachers’ ability to give individual attention to children with different levels of skills.
“Diagnostic information is valuable only if teachers have sufficient opportunity to act on it. The findings should not be interpreted as blaming teachers but should prompt questions about whether educators have the training, resources and classroom support needed to address learning gaps.”
He called for sustained professional development, coaching and peer learning to help teachers adapt lessons, provide targeted support and track learners’ progress.
Dropout rate
The findings coincide with the 2026 national senior certificate examinations.
Some 962 832 candidates are sitting for the matric exams — 259 168 fewer than the estimated 1 222 000 pupils who entered Grade 1 in 2015. There are varying reasons for the shortfall, including dropouts, deaths and non-progression.
A 2024 report by the Hold My Hand national campaign of action estimated that about 40% of children who started Grade 1 leave school before completing matric. The insights from the Roots & Shoots study should provide crucial insights for policymakers on the importance of ensuring that learners do not fall behind as they move through the Foundation Phase.
They could also help determine useful mechanisms to ensure that more learners stay in the schooling system for longer.
- The Roots & Shoots study tracked learners from Grade R to Grade 3 in 75 Western Cape schools, finding that by Grade 3 only 36% of learners in low-fee schools and 49% in no-fee schools reached the reading benchmark, compared to 92% in mid-fee schools.
- The proportion of learners on track declined in no-fee schools from 56% to 40% and in low-fee schools from 58% to 32%, while it increased in mid-fee schools from 88% to 90%.
- Girls outperformed boys in Grade 3 literacy, with 60% of girls reaching the benchmark compared to 42% of boys.
- The Mr Price Foundation emphasized the need for better access to quality early childhood development, stronger Foundation Phase teaching, early identification of learning difficulties, and support for teachers through professional development and manageable class sizes.
- The study's findings coincide with national concerns about dropout rates, as about 40% of children who started Grade 1 in 2015 were estimated to leave school before completing matric.
