Cape Town — President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern that 80% of Grade 3 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning in any language, raising alarms about the state of early childhood development (ECD) in the country.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa acknowledged the remarkable 87% pass rate of the 2024 matric class, signaling improvements in the education system. However, he also highlighted the worrying high drop-out rate of learners before reaching matric.
The 2030 Reading Panel’s findings revealed that 80% of Grade 3 learners are unable to read with comprehension, and significant gaps persist in Mathematics and Science for learners in Grades 4 and 8.
Ramaphosa emphasised the critical need to focus on expanding ECD in South Africa.
“Mastering basic skills in reading and maths at foundation level often determines how a learner will perform later in school and beyond.
Dear Fellow South African,
Last year, our country achieved a record matriculation pass rate of 87%. This is a welcome sign that efforts to transform our education system are bearing fruit.
🔗 https://t.co/IoXdKCAMlO#AWorkingNation 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/5ksLeuSZg6
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) March 3, 2025
“That is why the Basic Education Sector Lekgotla held in Gauteng last week focused on expanding Early Childhood Development (ECD) and improving numeracy and early grade reading,” he said.
Reflecting on the past 30 years of democracy, Ramaphosa noted that efforts have been aimed at addressing the shortcomings of the Bantu Education system, which severely limited educational opportunities for black South Africans.
This has been further compounded by the passage of the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
Ramaphosa said there would be a greater focus on ECD, and the BELA Act would ensure young children are better prepared for school.
ECD is important in developing literacy, numeracy and social-emotional skills during a child’s cognitive development, he said.
It has been shown that children who attend pre-primary school programmes have a better vocabulary, greater number awareness, improved social skills and greater curiosity, adding that qualtiy ECD promotes social equality.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
