In a beautiful country with a rugged landscape, the stark reality is that the journey to equality and education for all is equally rough, where poor literacy levels still abound, 24 years into democracy. In as much as all eyes are on our education system, the real remedy lies in a concerted, collective effort by all facets in society to pull together and contribute to the goal: literacy for all South Africans.
For the past two decades, Rally to Read has quietly ploughed forward, making inroads by actively furthering literacy in rural South Africa. Rally to Read delivers educational materials and provides teacher training to specifically identified rural schools that frequently tend to ‘fall through the cracks’ of already-stretched provincial education budgets. In these schools, things the rest of us take for granted … books, pens, desks … are absent. Imagine how hard it is for educators to inspire, educate and promote literacy without the basics? Responsible businesses and concerned private individuals contribute to the Rally to Read budget every year. This money pays for stationery, books, portable classroom libraries, and teacher training. Schools identified for the Rally to Read Programme are visited three years in a row. Educationalists believe this is the minimum period required to achieve sustainable results. Over the past 20 years, independent studies have shown remarkable improvements in reading and writing skills at Rally to Read schools.
Educator training and school progress are carefully monitored by READ Educational Trust, who has managed the programme from the outset. Provincial education departments wholeheartedly endorse Rally to Read, as does our government at national level.
To get involved, visit www.rallytoread.co.za, or contact Lizelle on 087 237 7781.