Inside SA’s illiteracy time bomb
SA education faces a huge systemic failure that, unless fixed urgently, means the bulk of the future population will be unlikely to meet the needs of a growing economy
The shockingly low levels of literacy in SA schools — only one in five grade 4s can read for meaning — coupled with the fact that 45% of SA teachers are due to retire over the coming decade, has spurred civil society to demand an overhaul of the education system.
The movement is being led by the high-powered 2030 Reading Panel under the leadership of former SA deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. It is packed with education experts, former university vice-chancellors and leaders from civil society and business, all of whom have pledged to meet every year for the coming decade to drive SA towards the goal of ensuring that every child can read by 2030...
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