SA’s reading crisis deepened during the coronavirus pandemic and has yet to show any sign of easing.
Four out of five grade 4 children could not read for meaning in 2021, according to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. This means learners lacked the core reading skills required to succeed in higher grades.
Tackling this problem clearly requires a multifaceted approach, from improving early childhood nutrition to getting more books into young hands. One intervention that has not been getting nearly enough public attention is the quality of initial teacher training.
Last week, the 2030 Reading panel chaired by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka released a briefing note highlighting how universities are admitting far too many academically weak matriculants into education degree programmes, and producing far too many graduates without the skills to teach primary schoolchildren to read.
Not only do these teachers lack vital knowledge about the mechanics of reading, but they also are not getting enough practical teaching experience before they are let loose in the classroom. To add insult to injury, many of the weakest teachers end up at the most deprived schools, perpetuating a vicious cycle that hobbles the next generation’s chances.
The education system alone cannot compensate for the terrible deprivation confronting millions of SA children, who start life with the dice stacked against them and arrive at school physically and developmentally stunted. But it can ensure that they are met by competent teachers capable of imparting the core reading skills they need to open the doors to learning, and the prospect of a better life.
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