Literacy
Ellenore Angelidis founded Open Hearts Big Dreams to connect her daughter to Ethiopian culture through books. The nonprofit now publishes titles in 15 Ethiopian languages and has distributed more than 600,000 books to young readers.
Imeripotiwa na AI
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reported that 41.47 percent of learners nationwide are struggling readers. This figure comes from the Department of Education's Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment at the start of School Year 2025-2026, totaling 2,243,059 learners from Grades 1 to 3.
Teachers in KwaZulu-Natal are warning that the rollout of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education in Grade 4 could worsen the province's literacy crisis without better resources and training. Borrowed terms in subjects like maths and science are confusing learners, according to educators at several no-fee schools. The 2025 Funda Uphumelele National Survey shows only 40% of Grade 3 learners in the province can read and understand text in their home language.
Imeripotiwa na AI
South Africa stands out as a leader in foundational learning within the Southern African Development Community, according to Unesco's latest Global Education Monitoring Report. However, persistent classroom issues and stagnant proficiency rates highlight ongoing struggles in basic education. The report praises policy efforts while urging stronger implementation.