How To Solve The Literacy Epidemic In South Africa

Several initiatives have been implemented in an effort to address South Africa's literacy crisis. However, an intricate, intertwined web of issues contributes to the literacy problem affecting South African elementary school students today. Undoubtedly, the most prominent of these is, of course, poverty!

According to the World Bank, South Africa’s poverty rate currently stands at 55.5%. What’s more, about 70% of school-going children in the country attend no-fee schools. This, in and of itself, is a catastrophe! Evidently, this brings us back to the primary issue of poverty. Other underlying problems include corruption (which is a major one), a lack of adequate English language teachers, and a lack of proper infrastructure and resources (induced by corruption).

Below are ten strategies that need to be implemented in South Africa’s schooling system to help combat the literacy epidemic nationwide.

1. Phonemic awareness should be taught early, preferably in preschools. The government ought to make this mandatory. Children as young as five years old should be taught the alphabet and, more importantly, the letter sounds.

2. Phonics must be taught for at least three months in kindergartens (crèches) and elementary schools. This should be the primary focus in grades 0-3. 

3. To guarantee that new skills are developed, English language teachers must be trained on a monthly basis.

4. Parents, guardians, or caregivers must actively participate in their children's education. Schools should educate and empower parents on how to help their children thrive at home. This can be accomplished, for example, through video tutorials.

5. Reading must be prioritised and mandated in both public and private schools. As early as grade one, schools must create a daily reading culture.

6. Critical thinking exercises should be incorporated into South African preschools. 

7. Only qualified English language teachers should be employed. Teachers who are genuinely passionate about helping children learn in a healthy classroom environment. Psychometric testing should be implemented. This way, children will receive the high-quality education that they deserve.

8. Politicians must be held accountable for the mismanagement of government funds. Those who steal from and misuse state finances must face harsh penalties. (Tragically, because the system is infested with rotten apples, this is easier said than done.)

9. In grade two, reading comprehension instruction needs to begin.

10. The CAPS curriculum needs to be amended to accommodate literacy initiatives for foundational phase learning.