On September 9, the Ekurhuleni South District marked International Literacy Day with a spelling bee and world raffle competition for fourth and fifth graders at Freeway Park Primary School. This initiative aimed to bolster literacy skills and foster a passion for reading among young learners.
The event attracted participation from multiple primary schools in the district, including Freeway Park, Kwanele Primary School, and Zimele Primary School. Duduzile Sidu, the acting District Curriculum and Education Specialist (DCES) for the intermediate phase, noted that fourth graders competed in the spelling bee, while fifth graders engaged in the world raffle.
To prepare for the competition, the district provided a curated list of words aligned with each grade level, which teachers utilized to train their students. Due to time constraints this year, the selection process began at the circuit level, with one student chosen from each of the five circuits in the district to represent their peers in the final event.
Sidu pointed out that while the district has 154 primary public schools, participation this year was lower than in previous years. She emphasized the significance of such initiatives, stating, “We are also based on a CAPS policy and we have a lot of words for each grade that a learner should be exposed to by the end of the year. This promotes vocabulary development and good reading skills.”
Bethuel Malebe, a district representative, highlighted the urgent need to improve literacy rates, referencing a 2021 report from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which indicated that 81% of grade four learners faced challenges with reading comprehension.
Lerato Mpofu, one of the parents said it was nerve-wracking but the teachers have been supportive.
“We have also been busy with our preparations at home, which we began a month ago.
“I am incredibly proud of her and grateful to the school for placing their trust in her.”
By Ekurhuleni News Reporter
