According to the latest data from the NSC, only 717,377 out of the 1.2 million South Africans who started grade 1 in 2012 could write their final matric exams last year.
Nearly 20% of the 717,377 did not pass their matric. Statistically speaking, of the 1.2 million children that started school in 2012, only 575,000 pupils will enter the job market or study further with their matric certificate this year.
Upon further inspection, we can confirm that only 47.92% of children who started grade 1 in 2012 passed matric in 2023. A recent study from Statista in 2022 revealed some of the reasons that pupils (aged 7–18) chose to drop out of school.
The main factor affecting this decision was poor academic performance. While this offers a tragic tale for SA youth, researchers studying pupils in the US and China found a strong correlation between the act of reading and an improvement in Scholastic Assessment Test scores, indicating that students could improve their academic performance by improving their literary abilities.
In most countries, libraries offer a range of reading materials geared toward this outcome. With only 1,809 public libraries nationwide, more than 11,600 children have to share access to a single library, underscoring that we need to make reading and writing more accessible through digital means instead.
Given these circumstances and research findings, it is clear that we must prioritise government spending and investment into accessible, zero-rated digital platforms that can provide reading and writing opportunities to pupils if we want our youth to actively participate in our democracy, or apply for meaningful jobs and comprehend documents functionally in the future.
By enhancing the youth’s access to virtual book clubs, such as live.fundza.mobi, we can cultivate a culture of continuous learning and skill advancement. This approach is designed to enrich pupils with the tools and motivation necessary to reduce the school drop-out rate in SA significantly.
Lea-Anne Moses, executive director at Fundza Literacy Trust
READER LETTER | Make reading, writing accessible via digital platforms
Image: Supplied
According to the latest data from the NSC, only 717,377 out of the 1.2 million South Africans who started grade 1 in 2012 could write their final matric exams last year.
Nearly 20% of the 717,377 did not pass their matric. Statistically speaking, of the 1.2 million children that started school in 2012, only 575,000 pupils will enter the job market or study further with their matric certificate this year.
Upon further inspection, we can confirm that only 47.92% of children who started grade 1 in 2012 passed matric in 2023. A recent study from Statista in 2022 revealed some of the reasons that pupils (aged 7–18) chose to drop out of school.
The main factor affecting this decision was poor academic performance. While this offers a tragic tale for SA youth, researchers studying pupils in the US and China found a strong correlation between the act of reading and an improvement in Scholastic Assessment Test scores, indicating that students could improve their academic performance by improving their literary abilities.
In most countries, libraries offer a range of reading materials geared toward this outcome. With only 1,809 public libraries nationwide, more than 11,600 children have to share access to a single library, underscoring that we need to make reading and writing more accessible through digital means instead.
Given these circumstances and research findings, it is clear that we must prioritise government spending and investment into accessible, zero-rated digital platforms that can provide reading and writing opportunities to pupils if we want our youth to actively participate in our democracy, or apply for meaningful jobs and comprehend documents functionally in the future.
By enhancing the youth’s access to virtual book clubs, such as live.fundza.mobi, we can cultivate a culture of continuous learning and skill advancement. This approach is designed to enrich pupils with the tools and motivation necessary to reduce the school drop-out rate in SA significantly.
Lea-Anne Moses, executive director at Fundza Literacy Trust
READER LETTER | Sona now formality to address ANC
READER LETTER | Our government leaders are not fit to lead
READER LETTER | Boeing prioritises profit over passenger safety
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Related articles
Latest Videos