Row over the Workbook Project

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 6 Sep, 2010

University World News reports

"With its basic education system in a shambles, the South African government is rolling out easy-to-read workbooks to the poorest schools. But it may be wasting millions of Rand - more rigorous research is needed to test the efficacy of such books before they are handed out to children, according to a new study by researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand and JET Education Services. The study has infuriated the book project leaders.

The research, carried out between January and June this year, found that while a particular set of workbooks for Grade 6 mathematics was effective, it worked no better than an approved textbook currently used in South African primary schools."