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If you can't read, you can't do maths - Angie Motshekga

Hebron – South Africa can only address its technical skills shortage and fill the skills gap in our economy if more learners take up mathematics as a school subject.

However, about 85% of South Africans do not read regularly, which is why students also struggle with mathematics. “It all boils down to reading,” said Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education, this week.

She was the guest of honour at the Tlhasedi Primary School where the AVBOB Foundation donated a solar-powered container school library, opened several new classrooms and changing-room facilities, and supplied a “trolley-library” to each class grade as part of the Mandela Day celebrations this week.

The Tlhasedi school has been in the news regularly the last few years because of the horrific conditions learners were exposed to - but this week the school received new facilities totalling more than R600 000 at cost prices in one sweep.

According to Motshekga, South African learners struggle with mathematics, because they struggle with word sums. “It’s because we struggle with reading. It all boils down to reading more.” 

The majority of South Africans do not read regularly, which means that even those of us who can read, do no read enough - as opposed to the 85% of people in some leading countries who read regularly.

Motshekga said AVBOB had its finger on the pulse as far as the know-how on where the greatest need in education in South Africa lies, namely, that a culture of literacy has to be established. AVBOB’s library project, which has already resulted in the donation of 32 school container libraries to needy schools countrywide, is according to Motshekga, exceptional. The Tlhasedi container library is AVBOB’s 33rd donation.

Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga and AVBOB Group CEO Frik Rademan add some final paint touches as part of the AVBOB Foundation’s handover of a new library, classrooms and changing-room facilities to Tlhasedi Primary School in Hebron. (Pic: Jacques Dommisse)

According to the minister teachers, parents, school governing bodies and learners must work together to get the most benefit out of the libraries. Motshekga went further and said that the absence of a reading culture in the country is not the only problem, but so is the effectiveness of teachers. She is close to releasing a report that indicates there are cases where teachers only teach 40% of the prescribed curriculum.

AVBOB’s commitment for the establishment of a reading culture is of critical importance. Especially encouraging is that AVBOB has decided to expand its library project further. When research was done in 2012 by AVBOB to decide where the neediest areas are where they can make a difference, it was found that a mere 8% of public schools in need had a school library.

“In countries like Russia where 95% of the people read, 65% can read at an advanced level,” she said.

“There is also a difference between reading for pleasure and reading to gain knowledge. Therefore, our children must read much more.”

Motshekga added that the school year repeat rate internationally stands at about 1%. In South Africa’s neighbouring countries, the rate is about 5%, but in South Africa it is 10% - meaning that 1.2 million learners out of 12 million fail every year. The cost of all learners repeating their grades is enormous, and this money could be spent elsewhere.

Frik Rademan, Group Chief Executive of AVBOB, said the government has great challenges. "We will continue to work with the department to invest in all of our futures. Therefore we have already decided to expand the library project’s initial target from 40 to at least 50.”

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