LEA-ANNE MOSES | Literacy levels in question as matric results are announced

The contentious issue of the required level of competency in matric subjects is once again in the spotlight as the class of 2022 receives its results today. What is not in doubt is that SA’s public education system is in severe crisis, with the rate of attrition in schools as much an issue as the Grade 12 pass rate.

Too many of our young people are leaving school – whether after matric or sooner – without levels of literacy that are adequate for leading an engaged, empowered and economically active life. In order to secure a pass in a home language in the National School Certificate, a minimum of 40% is required, but this does not represent a standard that demonstrates an ability to read for comprehension or of grammatical proficiency that will allow the student to penetrate a highly competitive job market.

We are at risk of failing an entire generation of South Africans and therefore the country as a whole, whose future these young people represent, if we do not work on increasing levels of literacy. While matric might be a measure of academic success, it does not always equate to a student having engaged meaningfully with course material, merely of them being able to learn by rate and churn out results that the department of basic education will laud.

However, what this year’s matriculants do need to understand is that their results do not define who they are now or who they can still aspire to be in the future. Failure to achieve marks that they both expected and possibly needed in order to move forward into the next phase of their lives, is not the end of the world. 

Literacy is lifelong learning and students can continue their reading journey even after matric results are released. By challenging themselves to improve, students can re-write exams and work for higher marks, possibly changing the trajectory of their lives.

We need to bring every young person along with us in understanding that a minimum level of literacy is required in just about every level of interaction in life. Whether it’s access to applications forms, instruction manuals, street and road signage, shop signage, food labels, the ability to read and translate into meaning – not to mention the importance of writing as a skill – cannot be over-emphasised.  

Without literacy there can be no entrepreneurs, young people will remain unemployable, and the country will simply not be able to attain its development goals. The ability to read and write with comprehension provides people with choices and sets them on a path of personal development.

It’s why at FunDza we aim to provide literary resources to teens and young adults using platforms and content to which they can relate. Those who have grasped the importance and sheer pleasure of reading and writing are producing locally written stories on the FunDza platform that reflect the lives and experiences of other young South Africans, and these are made available to anyone who has a phone and internet connection.

No one should be left behind when it comes to literacy. We want matriculants who did not achieve the results they wanted – as well as successful school leavers – to continue learning through reading and writing. They can access our workshops and writing clubs online and there is even a library available at their fingertips on our portal. atric is neither the be-all and end-all, nor should it be the end of the learning journey.  

Moses is  executive director and trustee of FunDza Literacy Trust