Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the department remains convinced that literacy and numeracy are the heartbeats of Basic Education. She was speaking at the UNESCO World Literacy Day.
She said that President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the basic education sector a mandate to ensure that by the age of ten, every student can read with understanding across all disciplines. She further stated as result, the department has come up with eleven priorities to take basic education to the next level.
The Minister went on to say that in 2019, the department created the National Reading Coalition (NRC) to help people improve reading skills across the country.
The NRC's key responsibilities include organizing reading clubs, training teachers, and developing reading, numeracy, and literacy materials. They also attempt to mobilize resources and expertise to improve the quality of reading, numeracy, literacy teaching and learning.
The Minister also revealed that South Africa has created a world-first online program called "The Comprehension Across the Curriculum" that allows instructors to improve their reading comprehension skills.
The programme will be launched later this month and will train teachers to teach reading comprehension skills across the curriculum.
The department has also created an Integrated National Reading Sector Plan, which is aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP), which aims to reach major developmental milestones by 2030.
The NDP envisions that by 2030, schools will provide all learners with quality education, especially in Literacy, Mathematics and Science. The National Reading Sector Plan is an overarching evidence-based strategy that will alter the country’s entire reading and literacy landscape
The Minister also went on to say that the plan's major goal is to ensure that students read for meaning across the curriculum, in all grades, and in all schools across the country. And, to also ensure that all students are taught to read fluently and for comprehension.
According to the Minister, the plan will be fully implemented throughout the system by 2024, ensuring that all educators are taught in the most up-to-date reading pedagogies.
Additionally, The Department of Education has created a new Rural Education Assistants Program to overcome inequities in Basic Education (REAP).
