EDITORIAL: Early learning must come first
Fixing the economy is impossible if tomorrow’s leaders can’t even read
SA’s education system is in a dismal state. By every assessment, most pupils attending state schools struggle to master crucial literacy and numeracy skills in the foundational years. Such deficits make it difficult for children to succeed in the grades that follow and ultimately limit their prospects for pursuing tertiary studies or finding a decent job.
Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube’s focus on early learning is thus welcome. She is right, too, to emphasise that education is a not just a social programme but an economic necessity, vital for closing SA’s inequality gap. There is ample research showing that putting money into the foundational phase offers the best return on investment, and that quality education is the bedrock of economic growth...
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