National Literacy Month is recognised each year in September to raise public awareness and interest in improving literacy across the country. This month highlights the necessity of literacy and reminds South African citizens of the vast illiteracy issue our nation faces. The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) report shows that over 80% of our learners in grade 4 cannot read for meaning.
During President Ramaphosa’s address to bring forth the goals of his administration, the improvement of South African education was emphasised as one of his vital goals. As a nation, President Ramaphosa calls on us to ensure that those who are 10 years old can read with thorough understanding. “While the education system has evolved, there is still a need for fundamental changes, which is a national challenge. Illiteracy limits access to information, knowledge, job opportunities, the growth of the economy, and the overall development of our country,” says Allison Staals, Content Development Lead of Humanities and Languages at Maskew Miller Learning.
Maskew Miller Learning, previously known as Pearson South Africa, is passionate about enabling learners to progress in their lives to ensure brighter futures. By providing learners with suitable academic solutions to further their education, Maskew Miller Learning strives to build a better future for South African education.
Maskew Miller Learning acknowledges the fight against illiteracy that South African institutions face and would like to highlight Vuma, a South African reading instruction programme that not only encourages a passion for reading but has been carefully designed to assist learners in reading with understanding. The programme provides opportunities to accurately monitor reading progress and consists of several components that work together to improve learners’ standards of reading. These components include:
- Levelled readers and big books written in various languages
- Teacher’s guides with instructions to help educators effectively use the various components of the programme
- Workbooks for additional practice
- Various posters, cards, and audio stories that can be used in the classroom.
Vuma is available in various South African languages, including isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi Afrikaans, and English. As Staals explains, “It is important to note that an effective reading programme for Foundation Phase learners should be age-appropriate, engaging, and tailored to the individual needs and contexts of the learners, which Vuma caters to.”
The Vuma reading instruction programme has made a positive impact on many institutions across South Africa. Studies were conducted to identify the reading progress that teachers and learners made while using Vuma. Findings reveal that 96% of teachers in the study concurred that Vuma increases productivity, while 83% of teachers agreed that Vuma improved the quality of their work. “Vuma has been created to support our children in furthering their skills and reducing illiteracy rates. Maskew Miller Learning supports and acknowledges the severity of illiteracy and continues to pursue suitable solutions to build up our nation,” says Staals.
