Mellon Educate Literacy Programe 2021 – 2023

Leading from a successful 6 month pilot programme which we ran across 3 primary schools in 2019, Mellon Educate is working in partnership with the City of Cape Town to implement a 2 year, paired reading literacy programme across 7 primary schools in townships in the Western Cape.

Literacy Crisis in South Africa

South Africa faces a literacy crisis with:

• 74% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning
• 61% of Grade 4 learners lack basic numeracy knowledge and skills
• 16% of learners have access to books at home
• Children with poor literacy skills are 3 times more likely to drop out of school
• 50-60% of South African children do not complete school
• In 2010, it was estimated that illiteracy costs South Africa R450 Billion each year
• Rife unemployment in turn entrenches cycles of poverty and places significant strain on South Africa’s resources
• It is estimated that South Africa’s GDP would be 23%-30% higher if the population was fully literate

Key Elements of Mellon Educate Literacy Programme

Leading from a successful 6 month pilot programme which we ran across 3 primary schools in 2019, Mellon Educate is working in partnership with the City of Cape Town to implement a 2 year, paired reading literacy programme across 7 primary schools in townships in the Western Cape.

The key elements of the programme are:

1. year programme in 7 primary schools in partnership with the City of Cape Town
2. Built on an existing successful pilot programme which commenced in 2019 across 3 schools
3. Lead by 3 Mellon Educate Specialists
4. 7 Co-Ordinators (1 per school) sourced from existing interns with 12 months experience
5. Unique delivery method with 70+ interns lead by Mellon Educate Team
6. Programme will reach 1,120 learners each week
7. Interns will be paid a monthly stipend and vocational training leading to job opportunities after 2 years
8. Interns are local to the schools, unemployed and identified by the City of Cape Town and Mellon Educate in normal selection process
9. Progress will be measured by external assessor to validate impact
10. 75% funded in partnership with the City of Cape Town
11. Project commences in February 2021

Learner Impact Reach

Programme runs – Monday through Thursday
Each intern teaches 2 learners for 1 hour twice a week
Each intern teaches for 4 hours per day x 4 dats = 16 hours
Equates to 16 learners per intern

Total 16 learners x 70 interns = 1,120 learners a week

ENSURING QUALITY DELIVERY OF PROGRAMME

The programme is continually assessed by and external monitoring and evaluation agency.

Interns are continually assessed for quality delivery of the programme by:-

1. Mellon Team Lead
2. School Co-Ordinator
3. External Examiner
4. As part of course requirements

Potential Impact of Literacy Intervention

1. Each child is 3 time more likely to finish school
2. More opportunity to pursue higher education
3. Better employment opportunities
4. Ability to earn higher salary
5. Ability to make better life choices
6. Continue the cycle of literacy and love for reading in family, community and workplace
7. Impact felt beyond learner to family, community, country and the next generation