Durban — Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has advised parents to buy children books instead of toys after concerns that eight out of 10 Grade 4 pupils cannot read for comprehension.

Motshekga said it was important for parents to recognise that learning does not only start at Grade R, but at a young age.

“There are steps the department can take, but it is also what parents can do, including all of us as villagers must identify our role in ensuring our children are ready for school and sustain what they are being taught,” said Motshekga.

She said it was important to equip young people with much-needed skills to secure a bright future for South Africa.

“We also take responsibility to create employment opportunities, particularly for the youth of our country. As the Department of Basic Education we have been going on road shows to make sure that we play a very important role in supporting early learning skills and teaching children how to read, and the entire ecosystem must be involved.

“Schools do play a very important role in providing reading materials, especially for families who rely solely on them,” said Motshekga. She said the department’s road shows had also been providing mobile libraries to schools to help with reading and learning.

“This is part of ongoing engagements with communities to say that for us to improve our fortunes in reading, this is a whole ecosystem. We recently had a release of the reading barometer, and one of the things that we are raising is that we can buy children toys and they will enjoy them for the moment, but if you are giving them books they will give them a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom.

“Do not buy them toys only, but also make sure that you buy them a book,” said Motshekga.

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