Chairperson, Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Republic of South Africa, Members of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, basic education concerns itself with those matters which, once learned, enable the learner to grasp all other matters whether trivial or complex. Concerns about the quality of education have been raised for many years. Today our schools are in trouble. Youth is in rebellion.
There can be no argument that the abiding issue in primary schools today is that of helping all children achieve adequate levels of literacy. Strangely, in a country showered with adequate resources, South Africans still find themselves with the highest levels of reading disabilities in the world, at least amongst those countries whose national goals include universal literacy.
Compounding the nationwide problem is the endemic and exceedingly high incidence of reading disability among our youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, aggravated by the absence of libraries and computer centres in their communities.
This reading problem is not new. Its existence and its apparent severity in our society have received widespread notice for many years, dating back to the apartheid era. Nonetheless, it is rapidly escalating in our schools and catching the attention of the media, which report that vast numbers of our primary school learners cannot read. These are the ones who get lost in big cities and fall prey to thugs who roam the streets, day and night.
Our highest priority as a nation must be placed upon solving the problem of illiteracy. Grave reading and writing deficiencies are considered to be major stumbling blocks in gaining access to a successful and happy life. Government must do more! [Time expired.]