According to a four-year longitudinal study conducted in the Western Cape, children who start school within age norms are much less likely to stay on track by third grade if they attend zero or low-fee schools.
The 'Roots & Shoots' study, funded by the Mr Price Foundation and conducted in collaboration with Stellenbosch University, tracked the progress of 557 students who began in Grade R in 2022. These students attended 75 public primary schools across five educational districts: Metro Central, Metro East, Metro North, Metro South, and Cape Winelands.
At the final stage in 2025, 401 students in third grade were re-assessed. Of the 75 schools, 91% serve historically disadvantaged communities and do not charge fees or charge them for a very low amount.
Literacy Gap
The study results revealed a significant disparity in learning outcomes depending on the type of school. By third grade, 92% of students in medium-fee schools achieved the target reading level for third grade, whereas this figure was only 49% in no-fee schools and 36% in low-fee schools.
Among the students observed at both the initial and final stages, the proportion considered to be on track decreased from 56% to 40% in no-fee schools and from 58% to 32% in low-fee schools. In medium-fee schools, this figure remained stable, increasing from 88% to 90%.
Octavius Pukubye, the foundation director, noted: 'School readiness is necessary, but not sufficient. Even when children start school within age norms, many in poorer schools fall behind.'
He added that without improving the quality of teaching and learning at the foundational education stage, there is a limit to what early interventions alone can achieve for children.
Dr. Helen Hofmeyr, a senior researcher at Stellenbosch University, emphasized that observing the same group over four years allowed for a clearer picture of learning development over time. She stated: 'The findings show that early advantage does not persist uniformly. The school context appears to play a crucial role in whether children stay on track as they progress through the foundational education stage.'
The study also found a gender gap in literacy: 60% of girls reached the third-grade target level compared to 42% of boys. A similar gap was not found in mathematics.
The findings align with international data. Studies in the United States have shown that early developmental advantages are maintained only when children transition to high-quality primary institutions. A Princeton University study documented persistent gaps in school readiness between children from poorer and wealthier families, while research conducted in Tennessee established that effective teachers or quality schools alone are insufficient to close achievement gaps, but the presence of both factors was linked to sustained progress in math and English.
The researchers argue that the implications extend beyond access to early childhood development. Quality early education depends on capable and well-supported teachers and an educational environment, especially in no-fee and low-fee schools where gaps are greatest. They insist that resources must account for different starting points, concentrating funding, coaching, and student support where children face the highest risk of falling behind.
The study authors believe that the data strengthens the argument for coordinated action among government, researchers, implementers, sponsors, and civil society, with the government playing a central role in ensuring system-wide coherence.