EFF statement on the decrease in reading and literacy in South African schools
12 June 2023
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) highlights the dire repetitive failures of the ANC government towards the African child. The recently released Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) shows that 81 % of Grade 4 pupils in South Africa are incapable of reading for understanding.
The study, which involved over 50 countries, highlights South Africa as one of the lowest performing education systems in the world. Worse, is that the decrease in reading comprehension, according to the study, occurred mainly in African language instruction schools.
Students learning in their mother tongue are struggling the most to read for meaning in their respective languages. This was clearly reflected in the EFF's high school essay competition which took place from March to April 2023, where we received the largest number of essays in English and the lowest number in African languages.
It is also important to note that it is public schools that suffered the most during the Covid-19 pandemic, the time during the study was conducted, due to a lack of resources. The ANC government, instead, prioritized stealing Covid-19 funds, for which the National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) has not prosecuted.
This further extended the gap between African language instruction schools, which are largely public schools, and private schools that applied resources to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
It is abundantly clear that the ANC has failed dismally, since 1994, to provide free, quality, equal and decolonised education for the African child. Not only is it under educating our children, it is killing them in pit toilets which still exist in over 3 000 schools in the country.
Only recently, the KwaZulu Natal province neglected to provide the required daily meals to children at schools. Furthermore, townships and villages are faced with closed or dilapidated libraries without adequate or age appropriate reading material for the young children in these communities.
South Africa has one of the largest budgets secured for the development of education and yet this is not translating to better educational experiences for our children; while the private system of education operates optimally and competitively.
This amounts to pure disdain for the well-being of the African child as it is the result of its corruption and mismanagement. A government that does not care for its children is a government destined for disaster. The African child is disposable in the ANC Government's pursuit of thieving.
In our 10 years of unbroken struggle, the EFF has always fought for the African child to access free, quality and decolonised education. Under this mandate, every January is it our standard programme to assist parents find admission for all children left out.
Additionally, throughout the year, parents and learners know it is only the EFF who will fight their battles against racism, lack of resources, and all unfair institutional practices faced in schools.
Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 12 June 2023
