Coordinated collaboration, not just resources, is an antidote to SA’s literacy woes 

In a Grade 3 classroom at Maqadini Primary in KwaMashu, KwaZulu Natal, learners read in circles, reciting phonics poems while their Education Assistant points to syllable cards taped to their desks. For the first time, many can confidently sound out words. 

“This used to be the quiet class,” says Principal Bonisiwe Mkhize. “Now, you can hear them practising their reading from the corridor.” 

Maqadini is one of ten schools in the Pinetown District taking part in the Leaders for Literacy programme, a collaboration between Citizen Leader Lab, Khanyisa Inanda Seminary Community Projects (KICP) and the FEM Education Foundation. The multi-year initiative is reaching 64 foundation-phase teachers, 10 Education Assistants and 2,658 learners.  

Its goal is ambitious: To tackle literacy in South Africa by combining leadership development, teacher training and learner support into one integrated school improvement model. 

By now, we understand that the stakes have never been higher. The oft-cited 2021 PIRLS study still holds relevance: 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning.  

Just five months in, the collaboration is bearing fruit: School principals are leading with confidence, teachers are refining their pedagogical skills and classrooms are becoming better resourced.  

Better readers start with better leaders 

Rather than solely focusing on the learners, the programme’s first port of call is equipping school principals to lead. Through Citizen Leader Lab’s Leaders for Education programme, school principals partake in leadership coaching, workshops and peer-learning circles designed to strengthen personal leadership and school culture. These leaders work on more than just management skills; they learn to inspire, guide and mobilise their teams. When a school principal leads this way, they can oversee and sustain literacy improvements more effectively, creating an environment where teachers are supported, learners are engaged and parents feel involved. 

For Principal Celumusa Radebe of Vezamafa Primary, this realisation has been a turning point. 

“It’s not just about managing a school. It’s about leading people: Teachers, learners and parents with purpose.” 

This leadership-first approach is already influencing school culture. At Uthando Public Primary, Principal Lindelani Ngcongo has started monthly “family forums,” inviting parents to read alongside their children and teachers.  

“We’ve learned that parental involvement is critical,” he says. “When the community believes in literacy, the learners start believing too.” 

Within the walls of possibility 

If leaders set the vision, then teachers implement it on the ground. The KICP’s Foundational Learning Programme trains foundation-phase teachers to adopt practical, evidence-based literacy strategies. 

The workshops focus on improving reading and spelling skills, teaching isiZulu and English (First Additional Language) with Department of Basic Education resources, supporting neurodiverse learners and creating learner-centric lessons. Teachers also receive fine motor skill toolkits to help younger learners with handwriting.  

One teacher explained how her Grade 2 learners, many of whom could not hold a pencil correctly at the start of the year, are now writing full sentences. 

“The KICP team showed us how to use games and activities to build grip strength and confidence. Now, they’re racing to write.” 

Mrs Zulu, a Grade 2 teacher at Maqadini Primary, explains: “Before, we didn’t always know how to reach the learners who fell behind. Now we have strategies, resources and extra hands in the classroom. You can see the change in us and in the children.” 

‘’Dress classrooms for success” 

Every participating school has an Education Assistant (EA), trained to work alongside teachers and learners. EAs run small reading circles, offering remedial and after-school support for learners. Trained by KICP, EAs rotate between Grades 1 to 3, helping teachers with visual aids and personalised resources. 

At Bhekilanga Primary, EA Nozipho Ngesi, recalls helping a group of learners struggling with basic sounds. 

“We practised the same syllables every day, using story cards and songs. The day one of the children read an entire sentence, he jumped up and shouted, ‘I can read!’ I cried with him.” 

While the impact is significant, so are the pressures. In some schools, one EA supports up to 12 classes, highlighting the need for additional resources as the programme scales. 

Tumultuous times 

The early wins are promising, but challenges remain. Teacher shortages, high learner-teacher ratios and pandemic-related learning deficits continue to strain classrooms. During teacher union picketing in June and service delivery protests in Inanda, multiple workshops had to be postponed. 

But school leaders, teachers and EAs have found way to forge ahead. WhatsApp groups, for instance, buzz with lesson ideas and troubleshooting.  

“We’re learning to adapt,” says Project Manager, Constance Gumbo. 

“Sometimes we take the workshops to the schools instead of central venues. We work after hours. The commitment is there from everyone.” 

When stakeholders converge 

The programme’s integrated approach is drawing attention. The KZN Department of Education has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with KICP to extend teacher professional development across the district.  

With external impact evaluations underway using Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) tools, the programme is already generating data that could inform broader national policy and a replicable model. 

At Maqadini Primary, a Grade 1 learner takes her first book home and reads it to her younger brother. At Gobhogobho Primary, parents gather for an afternoon reading circle.  

These are seemingly small moments, but they remind us: Collaboration is the undercurrent pulling both those responsible for teaching our children to read and those who care that they do, all in the same direction.