Better teacher training needed to fix reading crisis - 2030 Reading Panel
Aspiring teachers reportedly enter university with some of the lowest maths and language skills, and are not adequately trained to teach these skills to children.
Picture: Max Fisher via pexels
John Perlman speaks with Sipumelele Lucwaba, 2030 Reading Panel Secretariat.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
According to a 2021 study, 81% of Grade 4 children could not read for meaning in any language and 27% could not read at all.
In order to address this, it's been suggested teachers need to be better trained.
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Lucwaba says this problem exists at all levels of the process; from the pupils leaving school to the lecturers teaching aspiring teachers.
Aspiring teachers reportedly enter university with some of the lowest maths and language skills and are not adequately trained to teach these skills to children.
Additionally, some lecturers have reported that some aspiring teachers cannot read fluently.
When looking at curriculums at university, very little time is spent on honing these skills and their practical aspects.
“You cannot just show up in a classroom and tell a learner how to read.”
- Sipumelele Lucwaba, 2030 Reading Panel Secretariat
Lucwaba adds that even the lecturers are not equipped to teach students to teach reading, and this needs to be addressed as well.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.