Pandor launches reading campaign

South Africa needs to treat the poor literacy and numeracy levels as points of crisis in the education system, Education Minister Naledi Pandor said on Monday.

She was speaking at the launch of Readathon, a campaign aimed at improving reading abilities of young pupils.

"Reading, writing and numeracy must be daily activities in every classroom... Not addressing these dooms our children to inadequacy and mediocrity," the minister said.

She urged teachers to support the drive to read and intensify their efforts at teaching literacy skills.

"I believe that it is vitally important that teachers teach reading in the most effective way possible... Schools need to reflect upon ways to motivate children to read because once you have the motivation to read then reading for study follows."

This year's Readathon campaign will focus on improving reading in schools as a whole.

"Each school will be required to enter the competition as a school. Each school will receive assistance from various literary organisations that will help them win the competition."

Pandor said schools will then be judged on their annual reading promotion plans.

Only nine schools, each representing a province will be crowned Readathon schools of the year.

Unveiling this year's theme as "when you can read, you can write your life story", Pandor said the department wanted to encourage reading in schools as a collective activity between teachers and principals. - Sapa