Call for interventions to promote learning

EXPERTS are advocating for a better culture of reading and writing as well as greater access to free resources at schools.

Pravina Pillay, an education expert from the University of Zululand said: “Numerous studies have identified the multiple and complex reasons for this low attainment; identifying poverty, limited resources, poorly qualified teachers and poor governance at schools, as significant factors contributing to low literacy levels.

“Some learners, often in areas of high socio-economic status, learn to read and comprehend in English, whatever their home language, from the start of schooling.

“Others learn in their home language in their early years of education, with just a small percentage of English instruction.

“In grade 4 these learners are then suddenly catapulted into a context wherein English becomes the language of learning and teaching. They are then expected to read for

meaning, across the curriculum, in a relatively new language."

Labby Ramrathan, an education expert from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said there was broad agreement that reading for comprehension was a concerning issue.

“The reality is that school education is lacking in several key areas including teacher shortages, poor infrastructure and lack of adequate

teaching and learning resources.

“But even if these are provided, we have a major problem of learners not wanting to study.

“More focus is needed on how to get learners interested in studying rather than using schools as places of childcare, socialising and sustenance. We need to strongly bring back the focus on teaching and learning.”