South African National Literacy Initiative

How is SANLI organised ? It is a Ministerial project with a Ministerial Committee Chaired by the Deputy Minister and a full-time Deputy Chairperson It is one of the objectives in the corporate plan of the Tirisano document. It is a literacy initiative with a four year life span. ( ). The project was conceptualized to operate as a Section 21 company( a lot of organizational effort went into preparing this during the first 4 to5 months of project implementation) SANLI is now a directorate under the Chief Director Curriculum Development and Learner Achievement in the General Education and Training Branch.

How is SANLI organized continued A Provincial Multi-sectoral Management structure made up of departments involved in social development, the private sector and a representative from an NGO and Churches –This structure once established will meet once in two months and provide policy direction to the literacy initiative in line with developmental priorities of the province and monitor progress of the literacy initiative Provincial capacity with be created to facilitate implementation

What is/does SANLI do ? Developmental Objective Significantly reducing the rate of Illiteracy in the Country and expanding the participation of all South Africans in the social, economic and cultural spheres By Making 15% of the non-literate adults literate by 2004 (total non-literate adults 7 million)particularly focusing on women and youth in rural and peri-urban areas Enabling the majority of newly literate adults to take up referrals to further education and economic activities To ensure that 60% of newly literate adults maintain their skills through keeping contact with and accessing materials, in local resource centres and community development projects 4 million South African population who are 15 yrs and above have never been to school 3.5 million SA population 15yrs and above have some primary education. (census, 1996) 4 million South African population who are 15 yrs and above have never been to school 3.5 million SA population 15yrs and above have some primary education. (census, 1996)

Strategy and Model of delivery The programme functions on the lines of non-formal education, but links with formal systems have been established as part of post-literacy pathways for those learners who want to access this facility SANLI uses existing capacity in the form of the various institutions that are in the social development sector

Model of delivery Work in partnership with National Skills Authority to facilitate the accreditation of institutions and organisations involved in adult literacy through relevant SETAs Fund accredited institutions involved in adult literacy Facilitate and leverage additional resources to support organisations involved in adult literacy

Model of delivery Capacity building for NGOs and CBOs involved in literacy to facilitate access to funding and improve service delivery Research and Development –monitoring and evaluating the impact of the literacy institutions in reducing illiteracy rates – information to support improvements in service in service delivery by agencies

What informs Invitation for proposals The design of the initiative has to support a wide range of interests and appeal to different motivations for becoming literate and offer core support It has to focus on breaking down stereotypes about learning and illiteracy. Initiative must contribute to systematically gathering more accurate statistics on adult literacy as part of the four-year adult literacy programme The capacity of the institution in terms of learner numbers

What informs the literacy programme design The initiative has been designed and implemented as a single integrated strategy and not as a series of discrete elements in the nine provinces The literacy initiative has been planned in such a way as to involve broad-based stakeholders in provinces so as to get a buy-in from stakeholders The initiative incorporates post-literacy support to reinforce the newly learnt literacy skills.

What informs the literacy programme design Literacy programmes have to be relevant to learners needs while focusing on mother tongue literacy, numeracy and the language of local economy

PROGRESS REPORT Progress report for the 2001/2002 financial year and Key focus areas for 2002/3

PROGRESS TO DATE GENERAL –Six provinces have completed their plans for implementing the literacy programme. –A Pilot was conducted to inform strategy formulation and the following happened: Through partnership with five NGOs literacy classes were started in two provinces. Material used in these pilot sites was evaluated and guidelines for further adaptation of material was developed An educator handbook has been developed Educator packs and learner packs have been designed based on the pilot.

Progress to date continued A strategy document to monitor, support and report on the project has been developed A monitoring, support and reporting system is in the process of being established at both the National and the provincial offices based on the above strategy oDatabase design oBaseline survey

Progress to date continued Project Specific : –There is an adult literacy project in Presidential Nodal Areas where learners will be made literate (currently a baseline survey is being conducted) as part of Ikhwelo Poverty Relief –A project with Funding from European Union for a period of two years where learners will be made literate is in the process of being finalised.

Progress to date continued –A project with Funding for KwaZulu-Natal from DANIDA where an additional learners will be made literate is being implemented –A project is implemented in partnership with UNISA funded by DfID, where learners will be made literate during 2002 –A literacy song has been launched as part of addressing the stigma attached to illiteracy.

Progress to date continued A multi-media literacy educator support project in partnership with ILI, GCIS, School NET and Shoma Education Trust will be launched in September 2002

Key Outputs for 2002/3 and beyond Working in partnership with National Skills Authority to facilitate the accreditation of institutions and organisations involved in adult literacy through relevant SETAs

Key Outputs for 2002/3 and beyond continued Fund accredited institutions involved in adult literacy –Funding criteria oOrganisations have to indicate their educator recruitment, training and support strategies oSystem of adapting material making it relevant for various learning situations oliteracy programme and strategies of mainstreaming it with current development initiatives

Key outputs continued oMarketing and advocacy strategy to get buy-in from communities oStrategy to implement a system for post-literacy path ways for learners Facilitate and leverage additional resources to support organisations involved in adult literacy Capacity building for NGOs and CBOs involved in literacy to facilitate access to funding and improve service delivery

Key outputs continued Research and Development Building Capacity to manage, support and report on the initiative oAn EMIS system oProvincial staff

Conclusion Mainstreaming the literacy initiative as a necessary component of all social development programmes.

Conclusion Implementing a rigorous media campaign to make literacy a public agenda is an important aspect of the literacy initiative that has to be accelerated The capacity of the formal adult education system will have to prepare for massive expansion of the formal programme in anticipation of more learners taking up referrals for further learning opportunities.