South Africa: progress in reading literacy

The progress in international reading literacy study surveyed learners in grades four and six in 11 official languages across all nine provinces in South Africa. The Western Cape scored the highest in both grades in the language test, with a mean score of 460 in grade six and 363 in grade four. However, the North West province scored the lowest, with a a mean of 362 in grade six and 232 in grade four. Even though the Western Cape achieved the highest mean score out of all the provinces, this score is still significantly lower than the international average.

Reading literacy assessment of learners in South Africa in 2021, by province

Characteristic	Grade 4	Grade 6
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Release date

May 2022

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Region

South Africa

Survey time period

2021

Supplementary notes

The source offers the following information:

"The progress in international reading literacy study (PIRLS) assesses reading comprehension and monitors trends and indicators of growth in reading literacy at five-year intervals.

The PIRLS international scale has a range that is set from 0 to 1,000, with a center point of 500, and a standard deviation of 100.

South Africa is the only country in the PIRLS that stratifies its sample among 11 official language groupings resulting in a high percentage of low socio-economic schools featuring. Its diverse non-homogenous language context should always preface a deeper understanding of achieved reading literacy scores. Grade four learners were assessed across the 11 official languages. Grade six learners were assessed in English and Afrikaans. A total of 12,426 grade four learners were assessed, and 9,317 grade six learners were assessed. The 2021 sample was nationally representative, and was stratified by language and province.

PIRLS objectives:
• To assess how well South African grade four and six learners read, and to identify possible associated contextual factors.
• To compare the reading literacy of grade four South African learners, both internationally and on a national level for all 11 official languages, and across all nine provinces."

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