The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), released on Tuesday, found that 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning in any language. The country ranked lowest out of the 43 participating countries in learners’ reading skills. The previous PIRLS study in 2016 stated that 78% of children in Grade 4 in South Africa can’t read for meaning. 

GUEST: Jenny Katz, the Research and Development Manager of the Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy