The Pilot Phase

To test the application of the methodologies in all Gauteng schools, a pilot project is currently underway in 24 Gauteng schools. The schools represent the spectrum of Gauteng schools form urban through township to even LSEN schools. The findings of the pilot will inform course development and programme design for the full roll out.

Fundraising

The GDE/READ/JET partnership has collaborated in the design of the programme and endeavours to raise funds for delivery. Funding has already been secured for: The Pilot project The production of course manuals and methodology CDs The baseline evaluation.

The Strategy

The Accelerated Programme for Literacy, Language and Communication (APLLC) aims to accelerate learners’ listening, speaking, reading, writing and comprehension skills through an in-service teacher training, mentoring and monitoring programme, linked to appropriate resource provisioning in public schools. The strategy will rollout to 1325 public primary school and 466 high schools in Gauteng from 2006 to 2012.

The Focus

 The focus of the strategy is on teacher and school management development coupled with resource provisioning. Fifty primary school and 24 high school trainers will train all Gauteng teachers in a battery of literacy and language courses. Classrooms will be stocked with resources relevant and adequate to kick-start learner language development. The curriculum is crafted by READ’s 26 years of experience and informed by local and international best practices in literacy and language teaching. The programme promises to deliver the skills that teachers and school managers in the province so desperately need, and will be rigorously evaluated at all levels by the Joint Education Trust (JET) for efficacy of delivery.