Moving every child to proficiency

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday December 15, 2025 06:06

The one deficiency that can ruin the students’ prospects of achieving academic prowess is lack of reading culture. A solid reading foundation plays a significant role in the long-term education journey of children. If students do not have reading and writing proficiency, they may not navigate with confidence the rugged and difficult academic terrain that higher levels of schooling may present. Therefore, getting the foundation right is a duty which every education system should execute with distinction. Every education system should therefore aim at increasing investment to reinforce and fortify early childhood education and development and primary school education. Reading proficiency is the foundation of a child’s educational journey.

Without it, children could face an almost insurmountable academic mountain. From home, kindergarten, schools, to the policy maker in the central ministry, children should be sufficiently motivated and challenged to devour books. One noteworthy programme that is the pride of the nation is a ‘Breakthrough’ championed by public primary schools.

The programme continues to pay dividends through its relentless pursuit of a reading culture. But ensuring every student attains reading proficiency remains a challenge. In spite of everything the teachers are putting into the programme to change the reading trajectory of every child, not all children can break through.

That is a sad reality that continues to dog and blight our foundational education system. This has created an environment where some students move to the next education level, devoid of an important basic skill that should be a prerequisite for entry into the next level of education and training. The situation is compounded by the application of the principle of automatic progression, a necessarily double-edged sword, facilitating 100 % transition to junior secondary school education while making academic prosperity uncertain. The subject of reading should be addressed urgently.

It should not be seen as the sole responsibility of schools; rather, it should be elevated to a societal challenge requiring a multi-pronged and disciplinary approach. Our children need reading role models from family, neighbourhood, ward, village, to every level of society.

Celebrities and other prominent key figures should lead the way to inspire students to take reading seriously. President Duma Boko, a consummate and avid reader, is leading by example through his personal initiative of donating books to schools.

Other leaders should follow suit. Of course, there is no substitute for good teaching. If subjected to the right rigour of instruction, learners are bound to respond positively.

Schools should strengthen the rigour of instruction, laying particular emphasis not only on science, technology, Arts and Mathematics, but also on reading. Reading paves the way to academic prosperity across subjects. Infusion of the technology into teaching and learning is no longer an option but has become an integral part of teaching and learning in the digital age.

Technology, if leveraged, could become a game changer in the quest to build a strong reading culture. Children love learning laced with fun. Gadgets should be stuffed with the right content, games and quizzes, which are inculcating a culture of reading while appealing to students.

Provision of critical teaching and learning inputs has become a challenge which the government cannot manage single-handedly.

Already, schools have started forging relationships with the private sector to speed the supply of laptops, duplicating machines and accessories.

This would drastically change the game by improving the frequency of assessment and student feedback. Ideally, there is a need to plant a seed of community-run schools, which would grow the spirit of collective ownership and accountability.

The prominent and domineering role that the government continues to play in public schools stifles community enterprise and innovation. Schools must be built and anchored on a healthy collaborative ecosystem.