Learning Losses in the Western Cape Systemic Tests - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2 Learning losses from Covid-19 in the Western Cape: Evidence from systemic tests Executive Summary 1 Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated school lockdowns and rotational timetables that were applied in many schools, most learners in South African schools had far lower exposure to school in 2020 and 2021 than in normal years. [...] 2 By investigating performance in the Western Cape Systemic Tests that are written in Grades 3, 6, and 9 in both Language and Mathematics, this study was able to compare performance of the same schools on the same questions in 2021 to performance in 2019. [...] marked dropped from 57% in 2019 to 48% in 2021 2 Performance in ‘Measurement’ was the lowest in both 2019 and 2021, with performance dropping to 26% in 2021. [...] Average mark in 'Measurement', the lowest of all learning areas in 8 Performance in ‘Measurement’ was the lowest Grade 6 in 2019 and 2021 in both 2019 and 2021, at a 38% average mark in 2021. [...] The lowest performance for both LOLT groups was ‘Measurement’ 18 While learners in Q5 schools scored an average of 55% in ‘Number Operations and Relationships’ in 2021, a decline of 4 points, this was far higher than the 29% and 28% average scored in the other quintile groupings.