South Africa’s largest retail bank, Absa, in partnership with Wits School of Education, opened the inaugural THRASS Absa TalkTogether Conference today at Wits.

The THRASS Absa TalkTogether Project is an initiative with a vision to increase literacy in South Africa through the improved teaching and learning of English, via improved ‘Teaching, Handwriting, Reading And Spelling Skills (THRASS). The project provides a platform to celebrate South Africa’s eleven national languages through FREE interactive and printable calendar charts, further celebrating our “Rainbow Nation”.

The programme targets foundation level learners and their teachers. It helps learners develop sound literacy skills from an early age, and creates a strong base of English skills using the 26 letters of the alphabet and 44 phonemes (sounds) as well as 120 graphemes (spelling choices) to explain sounds and words. THRASS “The Phoneme Machine” is a computer program that uses the International Phonetic Alphabet and moving human lips to demonstrate the pronunciation of sounds and a variety of frequently used English words.

The conference provides an ideal platform to evaluate and experience the THRASS methodology and its applicability in different contexts, whilst reviewing best practice for implementation, including use of the novel SING-A-LONG resources that combine the proven THRASS phonetic teaching methodology with music, dance and singing as a fun-filled and healthy way of learning.

Jean Place, Head of Foundation Phase at Wits School of Education, says “The THRASS programme, enhanced with the new and innovative SING-A-LONG resources, will enable teachers to integrate their approach with all aspects of the new National Literacy Strategy outlined in the document now available on the Department of Education website. These resources and the THRASS approach to early reading will, I believe, impact significantly on literacy levels within South Africa”

Nicholas Young, Chief Operating Officer of Absa’s New Business Cluster says: “The transfer of knowledge through sharing the Projects implementation and research experience and distilling it as best practice will be of invaluable help in addressing South Africa’s literacy challenge and improving teachers subject matter knowledge. To this end, the THRASS Absa TalkTogether Project is intending to introduce THRASS, through the SING-A-LONG resources, to 1,000 schools during 2008.”

To date, over 4,000 teachers and student teachers in South Africa have earned the THRASS Accredited Certificate with over 500 having been sponsored by the THRASS Absa TalkTogether Literacy Project.

THRASS has been implemented in a significant number of government schools, including farm schools in the Kwena Basin, Mpumalanga and township schools in Orange Farm, Johannesburg and also in private independent schools in several provinces, including the largest private schools chain, Crawford Schools.

The programme continues to evolve with the inclusion of a newly formed concept to support the project, with the introduction of four new SING-A-LONG resources for families and schools in South Africa.

The World Premiere and launch of THRASS SING-A-LONG concept will also take place in the form of a musical concert on the evening of the first day of the conference. The concept will help learners understand synthetic phonics alongside the three other ‘Searchlights’. The project will increase their confidence in identifying the one-, two- and three-letter spelling choices in English words and saying the sounds that they represent, and make it much easier for both children and adults to master the sounds and spelling choices of English.

“We welcome new partners seeking to adopt and include THRASS into their corporate social investment plans or participate in the TalkTogether Project. We firmly believe that increased collaboration between Private and Public sectors is key to creating sustainable programmes that increase literacy in South Africa, and provide opportunities for all South Africans to achieve their full potential and be the best they can be,” concluded Mr.Young.

FAST FACTS ABOUT THRASS

THRASS targets foundation level learners and their teachers because this is the key stage for kids to develop lifelong learning skills.

It is the brainchild of Alan Davies, an educational psychologist with over 30 years experience in education and training.

It creates a strong foundation of English skills using 26 letters of the alphabet and 44 phonemes (sounds) and graphemes to explain sounds and words.

In South Africa, THRASS has achieved the following:

Since the first course in 2005, THRASS has been introduced in over 120 public and private schools.

More than 4000 teachers and student teachers have completed the THRASS Accredited Certificate.

THRASS is supported by a growing number of universities with foundation phase education faculties, who have included THRASS as a mandatory component of their curriculum. These include the University of Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Fort Hare University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Issued by:
Sello Mabotja
Absa Media Consultant
Absa Group Communication & Public Relations
Tel: +27 11 350 7650
Cell: + 27 82 336 0132

For more information contact:
Priya Maharaj
Communications Consultant
Absa Group Communications and Public Relations
Tel:+ 27 11 350 9209

LeRoy Munetsi
Manager: Strategic Initiatives and Projects
Absa Personal Bank- New Business Cluster
Tel: +27 11 350 5023
Cell: 083 488 5609

About Absa

The Absa Group Limited (Absa), listed on the JSE Limited, is one of South Africa’s largest financial services groups offering a complete range of banking, bancassurance and wealth management products and services.

Absa’s business is conducted primarily in South Africa and on the African continent, where it has controlling shareholdings in banks in Mozambique, Angola and Tanzania.

At 30 June 2007, the Group had 675,0 million shares in issue and a market capitalisation of R88,8 billion.

At 30 June 2007, Absa had assets of R554 billion, 771 physical outlets (including loan centres), 8,8 million customers, 7 455 automated teller machines and 35 986 permanent employees.

Absa is a subsidiary of Barclays Bank PLC, which holds a stake of 57,6% in the Group. Barclays is an international financial services group engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit card issuing, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services.

For more information, please visit the Absa website: www.absa.co.za.

Source: Absa Bank

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