#2030ReadingPanel: GIVING TEACHERS A SAY IN EDUCATIONAL POLICY
This is how we obtained 52 pieces of major media coverage and over 1.3 million social media reach around a small in-person conference involving just 80 in-person delegates. Key learning: Always include those directly affected by policies and topics being discussed.
The issue:
In South Africa, 78% of grade 4 children cannot read for meaning in any language.
This astounding statistic requires a solid plan to ensure tangible change takes place. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Former deputy president of South Africa and CEO of the Umlambo Foundation, convened the annual '2030 Reading Panel' to bring together respected South African leaders to ask: "What needs to change for us to ensure that all children can read for meaning by age 10 in 2030?"
The panel comprises luminaries from across the spectrum of civil society including retired business people, media personalities, academics, faith leaders and human rights activists, among others. They include Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Prof Njabulo Ndebele, Elinor Sisulu, Prof Michael Sachs, Bobby Godsell and 14 other distinguished South African leaders.
From 2022 to 2030, the panel will meet annually to motivate the government to move beyond just talking about the importance of early grade reading to acting and making real change.
The challenge:
Brand identity creation, website development, PR and physical event management.
The 2030 Reading Panel was a brand new initiative; Treeshake’s challenge was to create the brand and build conversation around the issue. The first step was to design the Reading Panel brand look and feel which would then inform the development of the readingpanel.co.za website and new 2030 Reading Panel social channels.
We were also responsible for Public Relations. During the lead up to the inaugural event, we drafted and pitched a press release that gained us, among others, national coverage on ENCA, an Interview with Archbishop Thabo Makgoba and a written piece on news24.
In building the social media following, we created private Twitter lists featuring prominent voices and organisations involved with the issue of Primary Education in South Africa. On the day of launch we made the list live, and followed everyone on our lists. Almost everyone on our lists followed us back, and the word was out! Applications to attend the conference started pouring in.
The team organised an in person inaugural event; the first sitting of the 2030 Reading Panel. The event was attended by 80 delegates from various sectors, including government, business, philanthropies, NGOs, and the media. We were responsible for the event's organisation, which included all event collateral and logistics.
At the conference we shot short interviews with each of the panelists, sharing what they think needs to change in order to avert a severe reading crisis. These clips were then used to fuel the broader public conversation on social media.
The stories we wanted to tell and the headlines we wanted to see subsequent to the event were based on the release of the Background Report that was presented by the Panel Secretariat, Nic Spaull.
45% of teachers will retire in the next 10 years – this is ‘unprecedented’ and currently, there is no plan to address this wave of retirements.
On SA’s current trajectory it will take 80 years before all 10 year olds can read for meaning
University B.Ed students scored 50% on a primary school maths test: The panel called for an audit of university programs training primary school teachers.
Teachers on Education
In a high level panel about education, one group of people still needed representation: the teachers.
Aithne Molotsane from Treeshake, a former high-school english teacher, was handling the social media and PR for the campaign. She highlighted the importance of including teacher voices directly, rather than simply speaking on their behalf.
This is a crucial insight when it comes to policy formation and issues advocacy. Rather than posing rhetorical questions and answers, we can use the power of virtual media to directly include teachers in the discussion. And that’s exactly what we did.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the teacher content was some of the best recieved and most engaged on social media. It is also important to underpin the research with testimony.
Noleen Hogins, a remedial teacher, shares her opinion on how to improve reading for meaning.
Twitter engagement following teacher videos
The results
Our first in-person conference production since the first lockdown of 2020 was a great success!
We achieved a social media reach of 1.3M, from a zero base and a brand-new account.
We secured 52 pieces of mainstream media coverage during a two week period following the launch of the panel (R 1 379 652 AVE -Advertising Value Equivalency).
The campaign's success is also evident by how reference is now made to the 2030 Reading Panel in articles timeslive.co.za and education interviews The Globe, SABC News across the country
Over 13K interactions on social media - an extraordinary number for such a new account.
Hundred of NGOs and leaders from civil society have signed up to contribute the work of the Reading Panel
Most importantly, teachers' voices are being included in discussions at the highest levels of educational policy.