Before they can read: The hidden gaps in SA’s Foundation Phase

The latest insights from the Mr Price Foundation’s Roots and Shoots longitudinal study expose deep-rooted issues in the education system – issues that begin well before children learn to read or write.

Tracking learners from Grade R through Grade 3, the study uncovers when, and more importantly, why, so many children begin to fall behind during the foundational years of schooling:

• 40% of Grade R learners enter school already developmentally off track.

• Socio-economic disparities are already deeply rooted before children even set foot in a classroom.

• Literacy and numeracy gaps grow alarmingly wider between Grade R and Grade 2.

• Girls begin to significantly outperform boys in literacy by mid-Grade 2.

• Even children who start school on track often regress in under-resourced environments.

These findings underscore the urgent need to create a more equitable and empowered future, beginning with stronger, more supportive early learning foundations for every child. The study iterates that literacy is not merely the ability to read and write. It is the foundation for dignity, equality, and opportunity. Yet, for millions of South African children, that foundation is fractured before it is even built.

The roots of inequality begin early

The findings thus far offer critical insights into how early learning is shaping (or stalling) literacy development. Dr Heleen Hofmeyr, principal investigator of the Roots & Shoots study said, “By the time children enter Grade R, socio-economic gaps in development are already stark, yet the curriculum assumes a level playing field that doesn’t exist.”
This disconnect is both a design flaw and an education crisis in slow motion. And if we are to break this cycle, our efforts must start earlier, move faster, and go deeper.

While National Book Week and International Literacy Day champion reading and storytelling, which are both essential to nurturing a love of books, they must also shine a light on the systemic obstacles preventing our youngest learners from ever reaching the first page.

If we are serious about cultivating a nation of readers, the work must begin not in high school, not even in Grade 3, but in Grade R and the years before it.

In her keynote address at the G20 Basic Education National Indaba 2025 in Cape Town, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube said inequality in the foundation phase must be fixed, describing it as the moral challenge of our time, adding that bridging this gap is the moral test of South Africa’s education system.

Gwarube told the story of two 10-year-olds one with access to resources and quality education, the other left behind. “Both of these children will get to Grade 4. They’ll take the same international benchmarking test, and the other child will fail, not because they’re any less capable, but because the system hasn’t catered for them.”

“It’s a system that didn’t look at whether or not this child has a nutritious meal, whether or not this child has access to books, whether or not this child is able to read and read for meaning by the time that they get to Grade 4.”

Gwarube explained that the challenge is making sure that pupils get a fair chance to read for meaning, calculate confidently, and eventually take on tough subjects like maths and science. She stressed that childhood care and education are not optional extras but rather is the foundation on which everything else rests. “If we fail to get the quality foundational learning right, we undermine every other reform.” She said the G20’s priorities reflect what the education system must focus on going forward.

Literacy starts before the first page is turned

Grade R was designed as a bridge, a transitional year to help children enter formal schooling prepared, confident, and developmentally ready. But in practice, this critical year has become, for many children in under-resourced schools, a silent divider, widening the very gaps it was intended to close.

Rather than being a platform to launch, Grade R often fails to deliver the foundational skills learners need to read for meaning by Grade 3, the global benchmark for early literacy.

The consequences are profound. Research shows that children who cannot read by Grade 3 are four times more likely to drop out of school. In South Africa, the majority of learners are not reaching this milestone. And while there are many reasons, from overcrowded classrooms to under-trained teachers, the core issue is one of system design. We’re not preparing our children to learn how to read, let alone love reading.

From insight to action: EduRise’s literacy-first model

Mr Price Foundation has long recognised the power of literacy and numeracy in early education. For over 15 years, we have been working in under-resourced primary schools to strengthen the Foundation Phase, where lifelong learning habits are born and where the path of a child’s life can be most meaningfully changed.

Our EduRise programme, currently active in over 20 schools, offers a holistic, tested model that addresses the full ecosystem around a learner. It is built on four interdependent pillars:

1. Educator Development: Equipping Foundation Phase teachers with the practical tools, mentoring, and confidence to support reading readiness and comprehension.
2. School Leadership: Building management capacity to create enabling environments for literacy teaching and learning.
3. Parent & Community Involvement: Engaging families and caregivers to create literacy-rich homes and communities.
4. Learner Development: Ensuring children not only develop cognitive skills, but also the socio-emotional resilience to thrive.

“Overcrowded classrooms and a lack of basic resources stifle early literacy development. With the right support, every child can learn to read and succeed,” said Pain Mashingaidze, education programme manager at Mr Price Foundation.

Foundation Phase: The most undervalued stage in education

Despite the evidence, the Foundation Phase remains grossly underfunded and under-prioritised across South Africa. Consider these disparities:

• Class sizes in early grades average 40 learners, compared to 30 in Matric.

• Learner-to-teacher ratios are higher with 35:1 in the Foundation Phase vs. 28:1 in high school.

• Only 78% of Foundation Phase teachers are professionally qualified, compared to 92% in the upper grades.
• Annual funding for Foundation Phase learners is just R5,500, compared to R7,200 for Matric learners.

This lopsided allocation reflects a systemic misunderstanding of where learning actually begins and where the most meaningful investments should be made.

If we truly believe that literacy is a right, not a privilege, then we must fund and support it from the first step, not the final hurdle.

Rethinking what we measure – and when

South Africa continues to gauge education success through the lens of matric pass rates. But by that point, it’s far too late for many learners. The cracks in their education began years earlier, often in Grade R or before, and were left unaddressed.

Foundation phase assessments should receive the same attention as matric year assessments, with timely support for struggling schools and educators.

Existing tools such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Systemic Baseline Assessment (SBA) can provide actionable insights. These and other assessments provide valuable system-level insights. But they remain under-utilised and poorly integrated into national planning.

At the school level especially primary school, baseline assessments using widely recognized tools like EGRA and EGMA should guide targeted interventions. Foundation Phase educators must be properly capacitated to conduct and interpret these assessments and equipped to intervene effectively in identified areas of need.

Ultimately, interventions should be holistic and coordinated among stakeholders, with the learner’s best interests at the centre.

Recent public exchanges between Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube have reignited national debate around South Africa’s education priorities, particularly the balance between focusing on matric results versus strengthening the foundation phase. Maimane has criticised what he sees as a lack of accountability and urgency in addressing foundational learning challenges, calling for clearer performance standards and stronger interventions. He highlights the alarming statistics: over 80% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning, and only 30% of matric candidates score above 50% in mathematics. Gwarube, in turn, has emphasised the need to focus on early literacy, numeracy, and cognitive development, asserting that systemic change must begin in the early years and that the newly established National Education and Training Council will help guide this reform. The exchange underlines a critical truth: without a strong foundation phase, the entire education system remains fragile.

The Roots & Shoots findings advocate for evidence-based, early interventions that prioritise reading, counting, and thinking skills from the start, reiterating that real transformation begins long before Grade 12.

Mr Price Foundation proposes the following:

1. Universal implementation of validated tools like EGRA in all Quintile 1-3 schools.
2. Training for educators on using assessments to guide teaching, not just record performance.
3. Data-driven decision-making to align interventions with real learner needs.
4. Digital platforms to streamline data collection, analysis, and reporting.
5. National longitudinal tracking to assess progress from early childhood through primary school.

This would enable real-time, responsive literacy strategies that are grounded in data, and not assumptions.

Reading is a right, not a privilege

The challenges we face in South Africa are echoed globally. A 2016 study by Hoadley found that early grade instruction often relies on rote learning, limiting comprehension. Spaull & Kotzé (2014) further revealed that 84% of Grade 3 learners perform below grade level in mathematics, a skill closely linked to reading comprehension.

Worse still, by Grade 3, children from low-income households are already three years behind their peers, and by Grade 9, that gap widens to four years.

These numbers represent lost potential, delayed dreams, and a generation of children denied their full rights. We must act before another generation slips through the cracks.

A new national mandate for literacy

Mr Price Foundation urges a national shift in mindset and policy, with three bold recommendations:

1. Professionalise Foundation Phase teaching 

Early grade teachers need specialised training, better compensation, and clear career paths. We must treat them as specialists, not generalists.

2. Use literacy assessments for action 

Assessments should not be bureaucratic checkboxes. They must inform real interventions, influence budget allocation, and drive accountability.

3. Reform early childhood development (ECD) 

ECD must become a fully funded, integrated component of the national education strategy with shared responsibility across government, civil society, and the private sector.

What’s next for ECD in South Africa?

Recognising that literacy starts well before Grade R, Mr Price Foundation is exploring how to expand its impact into ECD centres and after-school learning environments.

This includes supporting youth-led ECD centres in low-income communities, piloting after-school learning hubs that provide safe spaces for reading, tutoring, and enrichment and leveraging technology to support educators, track learner progress, and personalise instruction.

“If we’re serious about closing the literacy gap, interventions must begin earlier in homes, in communities, and in early childhood centres,” said Dr Hofmeyr.

Building a nation of readers starts at the start

Let us go beyond distributing books. Let us ensure every child can read them.

Let us stop expecting miracles in Grade 12, and start making meaningful investments in Grade R, and the critical years before it.

Let us reimagine a South Africa where reading is a promise kept instead of a privilege. A nation where every child, no matter where they are born, is given the tools to turn the page, and better yet, write their own story.

Because if we truly want to change the world through education, it must begin with reading, and it must begin at the foundation.

Learn more about the Roots & Shoots study and the EduRise programme at: www.mrpricefoundation.org