The department of education in the Northern Cape says world read aloud day was commemorated today jointly with Nal’ibali. According to the Northern Cape Department of Education, the idea of reading aloud was inspired by the observation that most Grade 4 learners were reading without comprehension or significance. The department says it has since then acknowledged the value of reading and how it affects learning across all subject areas. The department says as a result, a culture of reading has been fostered in schools and communities through several annual programs and activities. Only 19% of Grade 4 students in South Africa were able to read for meaning in any language in 2021, according to the results of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which were released on May 16, 2023. The study also confirmed that the Covid-19 pandemic had severely harmed South Africa's educational system. The department pledged to assist instructors in enhancing their instructional methodologies for teaching reading, including phonics, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary development, at the 2023 Reading Indaba, among other things.

Journalist: Rene Julies
Email: rckjulies@gmail.com