LETTER: Cultivating literacy

The findings regarding matric pupils’ poor spelling, reading, comprehension, and paragraph-writing skills, lack of reading culture and poor general knowledge of current affairs have been attributed to young people reading text fragments on their cellphones instead of longer-form content (“Teaching children to read and keeping them in school will help solve SA’s big problem”, February 7).

Although the widespread adoption of smartphones has changed how we engage with media (written and otherwise), it does miss the nuance of the problem. Reading off a phone or other screen does not inherently lend itself to crimped reading; the content available to young people, like the rest of us, is chosen deliberately by the reader. Smartphone usage is not bound to disappear; instead of lamenting the changing nature of reading, we must focus on the available content to young people. Essentially, it is not about how you read but what you read.

Fundza provides a free (zero-rated) platform to anyone with access to a web browser to engage with topics important to SA’s evolving political and social landscape. By providing relevant content in the language of the reader’s choice (an often overlooked aspect of the literacy problem across the country), Fundza encourages reading and participation with and via written content (whether their own or that of fellow users).

Curated and user-generated stories and articles give readers insights into the lived experiences of the young people living in SA. However, Fundza also provides articles, blogs, courses, and other additional content that addresses various topics and walks of life. From articles tackling the prejudices prevalent in modern SA’s political landscape to discussions on money use and management, readers are challenged to comprehend pertinent and important issues affecting them and the wider nation.

Reading and literacy need to be cultivated, not merely taught. Online platforms can be a tool to nurture this practice among SA youth today.

Lea-Anne Moses
Fundza Literacy Trust

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