This background report details the significant literacy crisis in South Africa, highlighted by the PIRLS 2021 results showing that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning.
The report, commissioned by the 2030 Reading Panel, outlines institutional constraints within the education system and the impact of budget cuts and teacher retirements on reading outcomes. It also identifies provinces implementing reading interventions and discusses promising small-scale programs that demonstrate effectiveness through the use of Learning, Teaching and Support Materials (LTSM) and teaching assistants.
The document concludes by examining the government’s progress and the lack of focus on literacy in major political parties’ manifestos.