Speech delivered by the Minister of Basic Education Mrs. Angie Motshekga, MP, to mark the International Literacy Day held at Masivuke Primary School, Cape Town
Programme Director,
Teachers and learners,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Programme Director; I am filled with joy to address this gathering of learners this morning on the importance of functional literacy. So that we are all aware today marks the International Literacy Day.
Programme Director, today’s event also mark the 50th anniversary of the World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy (Islamic Republic of Iran, 1965), which made the Tehran recommendation on the proclamation of the International Literacy Day and advanced the notion of functional literacy.
The theme for the 2015 International Literacy Day is: Literacy and Sustainable Societies.
Programme Director, it must be understood that Literacy is not a nice to have but a human right and the basis for lifelong learning. Literacy empowers individuals, families and communities and improves their quality of life. Because of its “multiplier effect”, literacy helps eradicate poverty, reduce child mortality, curb population growth, achieve gender equality and ensure sustainable development, peace and democracy.
In today’s rapidly-changing, knowledge based societies where social and political participation takes place both physically and virtually, acquisition of basic literacy skills and the advancement and application of such skills throughout life is crucial.
Whether it’s reading or writing, literacy is an outlet to an untouchable world – your imagination. Not only is literacy a basic human right, it is a fundamental building block for learning as well as a personal empowerment tool. It is the catalyst for social and global progress.
Programme Director, it is for this reason that the international community declared a day to mark the importance of functionary literacy. This is a day dedicated to nothing else but the importance of reading. When we speak of reading, it must extend beyond reading prescribed books. We must read to extend our knowledge. We must read for pleasure. We must read so that we improve our literacy levels thereby impacting positively to sustainable and productive society.
Two international studies involving New Zealand learners have shown that Year 5 learners with the most positive attitudes toward reading generally had the highest reading achievement. And 15 year old learners who read daily for enjoyment score the equivalent of 1.5 years of schooling better than those who do not.
Research from the University of London’s Institute of Education (IOE) found learners between the ages of 10-16 who read for pleasure made significantly more progress in vocabulary, spelling and mathematics than learners who rarely read.
Reading researchers, Dr Alice Sullivan and Matt Brown found that:
“Reading for pleasure was more important for children's cognitive development between ages 10 and 16 than their parents' level of education. The combined effect on children's progress of reading books often, going to the library regularly and reading newspapers at 16 was four times greater than the advantage children gained from having a parent with a degree.”
In our endeavour to make reading and therefore have a literate society, we have launched a nationwide programme aptly named Drop All and Read.
Just yesterday, we had multiple events linked to this campaign in churches around Pretoria. We hope Drop All and Read Campaign will help children and adults to rediscover the joys of reading while raising awareness for those without access to education.
At the outset I must tell you that South Africa does not have a reading culture. Reading statistics indicate that only 14% of South Africans are readers of books and only 5% of parents read to their children.
In our attempt to deal with the “elephant in the room,” we convened our very 1st Reading Roundtable earlier this year. At the Reading Roundtable, we engaged with various education stakeholders on ways and means to ignite the Reading Revolution. The Reading Roundtable discussions were held under the theme “A Reading Nation is a Winning Nation”.
Throughout the world, school education systems are focusing on literacy and numeracy initiatives as a means to improving the performance and learning outcomes. A learner’s ability to read, write and calculate is considered a vital toolkit in the pursuit of success and in managing life in general.
In this regard, we have moved with requisite speed to initiate many initiatives among them as I mentioned earlier is the Drop all and Read Campaign. At the heart of this campaign is that all our schools have been advised through a circular to observe at least 30 minutes per week of mandatory reading as part of this programme. Beyond the reading at schools, we are encouraging families, churches and communities to reinforce the Drop All and Read Campaign at home and at various community engagements.
Our ultimate prize is to make Drop All and Read Campaign a regular established part of both children and parents’ daily routine.
Programme Director I must stress that our reading campaign started early this year and it involves more than just school going children. We have just completed a nationwide reading promotion roadshows in June and July to raise awareness about the importance of reading under the auspices of our Adult Mass Literacy Campaign dubbed Kha Ri Gude.
Programme Director at the core of our efforts is our deliberate determination that in-order to improve literacy and reduce the number of learner drop outs, we must make reading fashionable.
However, we cannot do this without providing fully functioning libraries in our schools. We view libraries as a key player because they have a role in almost all of these literacy factors - from access to materials and training to promotion and cooperation. The role of libraries in our view is to offer our learners more than just prescribed books but reading material that will expand their horizon beyond the confines of their schools and villages.
In this regard we have declared Reading Library and Information Services (RLIS) an apex priority.
Hence in July, in a bid to make reading fashionable, we launched the 1 000 School Libraries Campaign to target all needy schools per year from 2015 until 2019. The launch event held at uVuyo Primary School, Dobsonville, Soweto, we announced that by the end of July, the construction of 18 new libraries (two in each province) will be completed and resourced with the required reading materials. We said all new libraries will be Information Communication Technology (ICT) enabled and compliant. I am glad to announce that the target has been met.
As part of this project [1000 School Libraries Campaign] we also held a business breakfast to mobilise the private sector and non-governmental organisations to partner with us in-order to ensure that all libraries have all required reading materials to make them both viable and sustainable. I am glad to report today that the support we have received is overwhelming.
We are also hard at work steering the formation of Reading Clubs, Spelling Bee projects as well as Book Flood Campaign throughout the country. I appeal to all of you to begin a new habit i.e. to read books for pleasure. This type of reading for pleasure will help to expand your vocabulary and heighten the need to read more. Reading by its very nature makes you travel to places far away and it enriches your world. I hope this school is ready to join thousands others in forming the Reading Clubs.
Over and above this, the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) now gives high weighting to reading and writing skills in Grades R to 12. We have also completed the implementation of the Reading Norms for Grades R-12.
Indeed, we are a country at work. South Africa is today a better place than it was 21 years. Programme Director, all our efforts will come to nought if we do not have the full support of learners, teachers, parents, caregivers and communities.
To accelerate the Reading Revolution, I am encouraging schools including this one to do the following:
- Book Displays in foyers, corridors and principal’s office;
- Signs on display boards with quotes about reading;
- Notices of reading events;
- Photographs of children reading, staff reading and other reading role models;
- The principal's recommended "book of the week";
- Promotion of the public library;
- Celebration of reading events such as National Library Week, National Book Week, Readathon Week etc.
In the principal's office there should be evidence of:
- A selection of favourite children's books, learner’s work about reading, books for parents about helping children become readers; and
- Photographs of principal reading during school-wide Drop All and Read Programme.
In the school staffroom there should be evidence of:
- Information from the library, and promotion, about new and interesting resources;
- Notices promoting professional development for staff on children’s' / young adult literature;
- Notice board with information about reading events, must-reads, awards and recommended read aloud(s).
In the classrooms there should be evidence of:
- Reading aloud and storytelling every day;
- A structured daily reading hour;
- Plenty of books on display in the reading corner;
- Opportunities for learners to share their reading through book discussions and reviews; and
- Learner engagement of what they have read last, what they are reading now, what they are going to read next.
In conclusion, I must emphasise that reading is not an extra-curricular activity. It is not a portion of education, but it is education itself.
I thank you!
