Western Cape education tests reveal devastating effect of pandemic
Years of gains in maths and language skills have been reversed by coronavirus disruptions, assessments show
The coronavirus pandemic has reversed years of steady gains in maths and language skills, according to the latest systemic tests conducted by the Western Cape education department. The results lay bare the devastating results of the government’s response to the virus, which saw huge disruption to face-to-face teaching.
The Western Cape has been administering systemic tests annually since 2002 but did not do so in 2020 due to the pandemic. The results from the 2021 tests, released on Sunday, reveal pupils fared significantly worse than their peers in 2019, with the most acute losses among grade 3 pupils. They scored an average of 38.9% for language in 2021, down from 44.2% in 2019, while their average maths score plunged to 46.7% from 54.5% previously...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.