AS South Africa grapples with an entrenched literacy and numeracy crisis, a beacon of hope has emerged from the impoverished Kayamandi township in Stellenbosch.
The Indaba Institute, championing a grassroots educational initiative known as Community-Rooted Education (CoRE), has reported remarkable breakthroughs in early childhood education that could reshape the future for countless children in the region.
Recent evaluations reveal an astonishing 94% literacy rate among four- to five-year-olds taught by CoRE-trained teachers, vastly surpassing the Western Cape average of 71% and the national figure of just 54.7%.
Similarly, these children achieved a 57% score in “Emergent Numeracy & Mathematics”, significantly higher than the 47% regional average and a mere 33.9% nationally. These exceptional outcomes represent a critical positive deviance of 20–40%, fundamentally challenging the grim narrative surrounding South Africa’s educational landscape.
This remarkable success story is all the more striking against a backdrop of profound systemic failures. The urgency of action has been underscored by the 2021 Thrive by Five Index, which disclosed that a staggering 57% of children enrolled in Early Learning Programs (ELPs) failed to meet essential developmental milestones.
These statistics have raised alarms about the long-term implications for the country’s youth, highlighting a pressing need for sustainable interventions that prioritise foundational skills. The gravity of the situation places the spotlight on the Indaba Institute’s grassroots successes as a potential model for national reform.
André Shearer, founder and chairman of the Indaba Institute, emphasised the significance of community-centred education, stating: “These promising and impressive outcomes reflect the positive impact of CoRE, as teachers have clearly been empowered to enhance their children’s abilities in the two key metrics driving the devastating academic outcomes in South Africa’s education system—numeracy and literacy.”
His approach focuses on training women educators within their own communities, thereby fostering an environment that prioritises local engagement and cultural relevance.
Central to the CoRE programme is an emphasis on building a teaching ecosystem that respects and utilises local knowledge and cultural practices. This local relevance is crucial in a country where education has often been disconnected from the lived experiences of its students.
The recent survey conducted by Data Drive 2030, utilising Early Learning Outcome Measures (ELOMs), highlights this methodology’s promise, providing concrete evidence of improvement when juxtaposed with indicators from the Thrive by Five Index.
Shearer asserts that the CoRE programme empowers local teachers to educate in ways that resonate with children’s cultural contexts. “Through this approach, we can instill the importance of language, literacy, and numeracy that aligns with the rich heritage of these children,” he said.
Even as educational leaders recognise the gravity of the situation, the government’s response remains critical. Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube acknowledged the severity of the literacy and numeracy crisis, asserting: “We will intensify efforts to improve access to and quality of early childhood development.”
However, such governmental assurances must now translate into robust, localised interventions as the need for quality education remains urgent. The pressing issue lies not only in acknowledgement but in actionable policies that prioritise funding and resources for early childhood education.
The CoRE programme’s impact goes beyond mere statistics. It represents a cultural shift in how education is perceived and delivered in marginalised communities.
Referring to the results from Kayamandi as “nothing short of a revelation”, Shearer underscores the programme’s transformative potential. Yet he does not shy away from discussing the unprecedented challenges that persist. “If you look at the literacy and numeracy crisis in South Africa, it is unprecedented, and it threatens the future well-being of South Africa unless we get it right,” he said.
Shearer also emphasised the critical role of community engagement in addressing educational disparities. “We need parents to be involved. Education cannot solely rest on teachers; it requires a village effort. We need to create awareness and dialogue about the importance of early childhood education.”
This holistic approach fosters a support network that enables children to thrive academically and socially, reinforcing the concept that education is a shared community value.
Despite the positive outcomes, significant challenges remain. Shearer recalls initial difficulties in garnering support from local municipalities and securing funding for the intensive training programme.
“Our course is both intense and costly,” he said, noting that raising financial support had been a consistent hurdle. However, the collaboration with community leaders has been pivotal in navigating these challenges.
With backing from local stakeholders such as Funeka Mayembana from the Stellenbosch Municipality, the CoRE programme has gained vital traction and visibility. “Funeka has stated that she has never seen a programme impact her community so powerfully before,” Shearer said, celebrating how local partnerships could amplify educational initiatives.
The collaboration with Data Drive 2030 has been crucial in measuring and confirming the programme’s impact. Shearer highlighted their expertise in data collection as vital: “Their experience ensures that our results are credible and meaningful.”
These data-driven insights validate the effectiveness of the CoRE programme and provide a robust framework for further expansion and improvement, allowing for continuous refinement in teaching strategies based on observed outcomes.
Yet, as joyous as these accomplishments are, they underline an even graver reality. Recent assessments indicate that a significant number of children continue to struggle with fundamental skills.
“The Thrive by Five Index illustrated that very few of our children were thriving by age five, revealing glaring gaps in numeracy and literacy,” Shearer said. “These issues are exacerbated in under-resourced communities, where basic necessities like safe play environments are scarce.”
This stark reality underscores the need for systemic reform that addresses the root causes of educational failure.
With the results from Kayamandi providing a compelling case for expansion, Shearer envisions a future where the CoRE program reaches even more impoverished areas throughout South Africa.
“We can solve the literacy and numeracy crisis, but it requires strategic investment,” he said. “Without greater financial support, we won’t overcome the traumatic realities our children face.”
His vision calls for an intensified commitment not just from government entities but also from NGOs, private sectors, and communities working in concert toward educational equity.
In sum, the work of the Indaba Institute serves as a testament to how targeted, community-driven educational programmes can rewrite the narrative for South Africa’s youth. Shearer remains positive, stating: “These outcomes reflect a path forward, suggesting that with the right training and support, we can achieve remarkable improvements in literacy and numeracy for our most vulnerable populations.”
The road ahead is challenging, but the foundation laid by the Indaba Institute inspires hope that South Africa can indeed rise to meet its educational challenges head-on. If the lessons learnt from this community-driven programme can be scaled and properly funded, there is potential for profound change that can unlock educational opportunities, empower entire communities, and reshape the nation’s future.
As South Africa stands at a crossroads, the Indaba Institute’s initiatives offer a hopeful vision of what is possible when communities unite for the common good, turning the tide against a long-standing crisis in early childhood education.
sizwe.dlamini@inl.co.za