How Corporate SA can join the battle against illiteracy

With the myriad complexities and challenges society is facing, it has become increasingly evident that the government alone is unable to fix what is broken. We are reminded of this daily, in two-to-four-hour stages of darkness, which serve as a stark metaphor for the state of our nation.

And to add salt to the wound, the 2021 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study revealed that 81% of grade 4 children in SA cannot read for meaning — a terrifying revelation. 

The effect of such a high level of illiteracy cannot be overstated. The economic catastrophe of a nation in physical darkness pales in comparison to a nation of young minds in the darkness of illiteracy.

We have failed our children: their constitutional right to education has been denied. If our children cannot read, there is no hope of us addressing the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

That is why Citizen Leader Lab believes that Corporate SA has a critical role to play in this crisis. The business community is a treasure trove of untapped resources that can be used to deal illiteracy a significant blow.

Merely throwing money at the problem is a distraction to what is needed most, the skills and capabilities of business people to tackle illiteracy. 

Leaving it all to the government is not working and is unrealistic. How can any one sector alone tackle an 81% illiteracy rate? 

The role you can play 

Citizen Leader Lab invites business leaders to experience a South African public school first-hand with the Execs Back to School programme, sponsored by Sphere Holdings. 

This experience will allow you to understand the challenges behind the statistics and enable you to identify the role that you and your business can play. 

Click here for more information on Execs Back to School programme or email info@citizenleaderlab.org. 

Let’s work together to create #TheFutureWeWant. 

This article was sponsored by Sphere Holdings and Citizen Leader Lab.