Right to Read calls for greater literacy levels
AS THE world marked World Book Day this week, the Right to Read (R2R) campaign shined a spotlight on the resource poverty of thousands of South Africa’s no-fee schools.
The R2R campaign called on the state to adopt regulations that ensure the provision of sufficient books and materials that will get South Africans reading for meaning.
World Book Day on April 23 is dedicated to promoting the joy of reading and the invaluable role that books play in literacy and education. It encourages everyone to read in their own way, in their preferred language, their preferred topic, and in a way that is fun.
All over the world, countries celebrated by promoting the enjoyment of reading to children under the theme “Read Your Way” and by honouring the timeless significance of literature as a source of knowledge, inspiration and cultural heritage.
However, the campaign noted that on the day, South Africans were made to consider the reality that the enjoyment of books is hindered when there were simply no books provided for children to read, and when there were books, millions of children were not able to read them.
“South Africa is facing a literacy crisis. According to the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 81% of South African Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language.
Our current trajectory (both pre and post COVID) means it would take more than 80 years for 95% of Grade 4 learners to be able to read for meaning. PIRLS 2021 also revealed that South African Grade 4 learners who were tested in English and Afrikaans scored above the national average, while learners tested in African languages were up to 3 years behind English learners.
“Additionally, more urban provinces scored much higher than the national average, while rural provinces like Mpumalanga, North-West and Limpopo scored significantly lower.
Compared to a child in the wealthiest 10% of schools, a child in the poorest 70% of schools was 10 times less likely to be able to read for meaning," said the study.
The R2R campaign is a coalition of human rights organisations such as the South African Human Rights Commission, the Legal Resources Centre, Equal Education, Equal Education Law Centre, SECTION27 and the Centre for Child Law.
The campaign’s objective is to make early-grade literacy a national priority through legislative reform and through the development of binding regulations for Grades 1 to 3.
“The ability to read for meaning is the foundation upon which nearly all academic abilities are constructed, including mathematics.
If students are not able to read for meaning by the age of 10 (Grade 4), they will experience ongoing academic challenges, despite advancing to higher grade levels. The fact that most of our learners struggle to comprehend what they read not only reflects a system that lacks the essential resources to enable children to develop this crucial skill but also violates their fundamental right to receive a basic education.”