As the world marks International Literacy Day, education experts and organisations agree that technology has a huge role to play in advancing the literacy agenda.
However, these technology-driven solutions must be able to reach children and adults in remote and underserved communities, stresses Ben Rycroft, chief of content and communications at Nal’ibali.
Commemorated annually on 8 September, this year’s International Literacy Day is celebrated worldwide under the theme “transforming literacy learning spaces”.
According to Unesco, despite progress made, literacy challenges persist, with at least 771 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, nearly 24 million learners might never return to formal education, out of which 11 million are projected to be girls and young women, it notes.
In the case of South Africa, it’s been reported that eight out of 10 grade four learners can’t read for meaning, while the adult literacy rate is 87%.
Furthermore, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s league table of education ranked South Africa 75th out of 76, with 27% of learners who have attended school for six years being unable to read.
No surprises here
Moira de Roche, non-executive director of the Institute of IT Professionals SA and chairperson of IFIP International Professional Practice Partnership, isn’t surprised to see basic literacy skills are still such a major challenge, even in present day.
This, she states, is mainly because at the core, nothing has changed. In fact, things have got worse in SA, De Roche emphasises.
“Many libraries have closed down,” she says. “There is also a lack of understanding about literacy. Many people see it as being able to read and write, but it is reading for comprehension, writing in a structured and meaningful way, even the ability to read maps.”
In order to promote reading ability not only in SA but across the globe, De Roche proposes better articulation of the benefits of reading.
She explains: “Reading is the best way to learn about people, places and life. We must also encourage everyone to read using technology – too many adults are still tied to the concept that only paper books will do. I am a prolific reader and am perfectly happy reading off my Kindle or phone.
“The great benefit of reading on my Kindle is that when I come across an unfamiliar word, I can immediately access the dictionary to get the meaning as well as the pronunciation.”
De Roche adds: “What if – since there are so few libraries – government provided a library of online books to every child in the country. Then they could campaign to make reading trendy. There are some free book resources around, but often the books available are serious fiction. The library should include a variety of age-appropriate books, including fantasy, etc.”
For Qhakaza Mohare, COO at skills development bodyDigify Africa, the role of technology cannot be overstated, along with encouraging reading at an early age, to build a strong reading culture in schools and at home.
“We need to leverage digital tools in tackling this challenge; online platforms can be used to make learning materials and information more accessible, says Mohare.
“Many options can be utilised, including WhatsApp, Slack and Open Library, among others. These platforms can be used to plant a seed of reading within the communities, as long as they are connected to the internet.”
Nal’ibali’s Rycroft concurs that the inclusion of technology can help tackle literacy challenges, so long as these tech solutions are openly accessible.
Nal’ibali, which means “here’s the story” in isiXhosa, advocates for the use of South African languages in literacy. The organisation seeks to address SA’s literacy problems by helping adults and children to fall in love with reading and hearing stories in their mother languages.
Rycroft notes that unlimited access to free reading materials on zero-rated and/or low-data websites and instant messaging apps (WhatsApp, Snapchat), online gaming platforms, short form video hosting platforms (TikTok), etc, are some of the tools that can be utilised.
“We need to see the value and benefit that reading delivers; we need to start reading and telling stories to our children at home and not leave it up to the school. We need to read anything and everything we can to our children so that reading becomes an everyday habit.”
Collective effort
Commenting on whose responsibility it is to address literacy challenges, all agree this should be a collective effort that includes educators, governments and parents.
De Roche comments that parents must read to encourage children to read. “If they don’t read, their children won’t. I realise literacy is about more than reading, but reading is at the core. It informs the ability to write, and once a child is able to read, they can be taught to read for comprehension.
“Parents must be encouraged to read aloud to their children, and younger children should listen in when their older siblings are reading homework aloud. We must develop a culture of reading.”
Mohare adds: “Government, the private sector and other key role-players must address the literacy challenge collectively. I believe that collaboration between these different entities is key to finding practical solutions.
“The literacy challenge is a global issue that needs every part involved.”
To expand reading ability locally, Mohare indicates Digify Africa has built two WhatsApp learning bots called Kitso and Lesedi.
“Kitso's main aim is to equip users with tips and skills to be safe on the internet. People can learn about protecting their privacy, building their online community and using digital tools to make a difference.
“Lesedi is for digital marketing and encourages people to be digital citizens. This one also teaches people how to make online decisions, laws that protect us, job readiness and accessing services online, among others.”
For Nal'ibali, Rycroft states the children’s stories it produces are available free of charge on its zero-rated website and in its bilingual newspaper story supplement.
“Nal'ibali also offers training to adult caregivers on the importance of reading to/with children, how to become a literacy volunteer, and how to establish and run a reading club.”
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