Basic education rolls out language-specific plan to tackle reading crisis in early grades

The department of basic education is set to roll out language-specific strategies to tackle the growing reading crisis among pupils in grades 1 to 3.

Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube announced the move during the launch of the Funda Uphumelele national survey, which revealed 15% of pupils cannot read a single word by the end of grade 3.

“The findings show a strong link between learning to read in the foundation phase and being able to understand what is read later on. However, by grade 4 less than half of pupils are reading at grade-appropriate levels,” she said.

Gwarube said the department will use the study’s findings to develop targeted interventions that respond to specific challenges in each of the 11 official languages.

“To address this, we must ensure the results are widely shared so the scale of the problem is fully understood and our solutions are properly tailored,” she said.

As part of the plan, she said the department will distribute newly developed, language-appropriate reading assessments to subject advisers and schools.

“The work will strengthen accountability and improve the support provided by district offices and school management teams,” Gwarube said.

She said the initiative aims for targeted remediation so no child is left behind in the crucial early years of learning.

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