Watch: Reading crisis

1 min read
This Carte Blanche episode was co-produced by Viewfinder and aired on M-Net on 30 April 2023.

Teaching children to read is fundamental to their future success. But for a country already battling massive youth unemployment and an adult literacy crisis, it’s emerged that close to 80% of Grade 4 learners cannot read with understanding in any of the 11 official languages. Government has warned of the crisis and, in 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to prioritise reading through a National Reading Plan. But, through exclusive access, Carte Blanche shows how Department of Basic Education documents reveal a plan in disarray, continuing to fail our children. Despite this, education officials continue to proclaim the National Reading Plan a success. Carte Blanche investigates.

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