This year-on-year increase in literacy was made all the more compelling against the backdrop of seismic political activity and technological disruption.

Literacy rates from the 1980s rose energetically from around 75 to 90 per cent in the first two decades, with incremental progress thereafter in line with the government’s investment in education. The literacy rate then dropped by 7,32 per cent between 2015 and 2017.

This contraction of literacy rates in South Africa is expected to continue, perhaps even accelerate when one foreshadows the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on the education sector. Another unfortunate consequence is that the younger grades hardest hit by the pandemic are also the most crucial in establishing the building blocks of literacy.

It is a human right and the foundation for all learning, and through it one is able to lower other socioeconomic barriers. Without effective policies and strategies regarding literacy, the economic divide will continue to widen – this ultimately starts a vicious cycle which further reduces the opportunities for employment.

World Literacy Day on September 8 reminds us of our own responsibility to prevent further collapse of the country’s essential literacy programmes, and to admire the vigorous efforts of non-profit organisations like Rally to Read, which is assisted by individuals and corporates, including Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA).

“Many of the challenges faced by our country and its citizens can be traced back to a level of illiteracy, but they often go by unnoticed or ignored. It remains a powerful platform that opens up doors to new opportunities that didn’t exist before,” said Neale Hill, MD of FMCSA.

“We believe that by attending to the country’s literacy rates at the earliest stages, we can help create a brighter future for all South Africans. In celebrating World Literacy Day, Ford is committed to helping each learner whom we directly or indirectly touch through the Rally to Read programme, to contribute to the next written pages in a united and educated country.”

According to a recent study done by the University of Cape Town, a lack of access to reading materials and textbooks are two of the main reasons that 78 per cent of South African children in grade three still cannot read for comprehension.

“An education system has the responsibility to deliver two essential things for a just society: improve the quality of learning and narrow the gap between students doing well and those doing badly,” said education expert, Prof Mary Metcalf about the study. “Ultimately, children need resources – textbooks for learning and others for reading pleasure.

And to help them grasp subjects and improve their level of understanding in various learning areas, teachers need to conduct lessons in a language that children understand.”

Improvements in literacy rates is a long and gradual process and depend heavily on initiatives like the annual Rally to Read event to deliver educational books into the hands of the youth. The latter is a flagship programme of the READ Educational Trust, founded in 1998, and spearheaded by now retired McCarthy Motor Holdings CEO and philanthropist, Brand Pretorius.

Since 1999, FMCSA has proudly associated itself with this worthy cause by supplying Ford Rangers to the project, and last year provided a financial donation of R1 million. FMCSA’s three-year partnership with Rally to Read will enable the support of 10 project schools in Mpumalanga, a READ trainer, resources for the schools and a Rally weekend to visit schools and deliver the learning resources.

“Education provides the foundation for community empowerment and upliftment, and the rural areas of South Africa face the biggest challenges in terms of the quality of teaching available, and the resulting poor levels of literacy among learners,” said Bertus Matthee, national director of the READ Educational Trust.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from Ford, as its active participation and backing of the project will create crucial building blocks for under-equipped teaching staff to provide better education for our current learners and future leaders,” Matthee added.

Nationally, Rally to Read covers six school districts across five provinces, and the selected schools receive these educational books in protective “box libraries”. It is in the transporting of the “box libraries” – across terrain that varies from rocks to riverbeds – where the Ford Ranger’s payload and 4×4 capability excel.

Every year these books are replaced by more advanced textbooks and reading material in order for literacy levels to continue to evolve and remain age-appropriate. Teachers are also tutored on literacy and language methodologies by dedicated READ trainers.

Source:Quickpic