Indeed, the inability of three-quarters of our grade 4 pupils to understand what they are reading is a terrible indictment of our teachers. However, some blame must be placed on the parents. They also have a duty to teach their children the basics. I was not really aware of it at the time, but my mother taught me to read before I went to school. I was nine days short of the five years of age required for entry, but my mother swore to the headmaster that I was ready. He agreed to test me. After the test, he asked my mother if I liked to read, and if so, what. She often told how he had laughed when she said: "We get two newspapers, the Express and the Guardian, and he tends to prefer the Guardian." Philip LloydCape Town
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