Anmerkungen:
Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments December 2022 erstellt
Beschreibung:
In this report, we review what we know about learning losses and other schooling impacts in South Africa after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021). Four overall trends emerge from existing evidence. First, there have been extensive learning losses in the General Education and Training Phase (Grade R–9). In the 2021 Western Cape Systemic Tests, Grade 3, 6 and 9 learners were 40% to 70% of a school year behind in language and much more behind, 95% to 106% of a school year, in mathematics (Van der Berg et al. 2022). There were larger average declines in primary grades compared to Grade 9. Furthermore, sample-based reading studies in no-fee schools reveal extensive losses in reading skills among Grade 2 to 4 learners of 46% to 118% of a year of learning over two pandemic years, exacerbating an existing early grade reading crisis in South Africa. Second, evidence points to the widening of already high levels of learning inequality across wealthier and poorer parts of the system. A third and unexpected trend that occurred is that overall, dropping out in South Africa declined during the pandemic at the secondary level. There have also been large commensurate increases in total school enrolment. A fourth trend relates to unprecedented rises in candidates writing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) and achieving a Bachelors-level pass in 2021. This was related to pre-pandemic rises in secondary enrolment, and very large increases in promotion rates from Grade 11 to 12 at the end of 2020 (Gustafsson, 2022c) in a context of adjusted assessment practices to accommodate COVID-19 disruptions to the school calendar. Despite the importance of the NSC as a certification system, buoyant NSC results should not constitute evidence that there have been no learning losses in the system, especially where Grade 12s lost far fewer school days than other grades. Finally, twin pandemic shocks of learning losses and enrolment increases have occurred, in a context where education budgets are being squeezed. Enrolment increases in higher grades need to be addressed through realigning progression rules to effective assessment practices. Furthermore, budget cuts should not preclude prioritising remediating losses, a task that requires much more than merely adjusting Annual Teaching Plans