Global Reading Report: South African Children Struggle, England Ranks Fourth, Australia Holds Steady Despite Pandemic.

Eight out of 10 South African children struggle to read by the age of ten, according to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. South Africa ranked last out of 57 countries assessed, with illiteracy among children rising from 78% in 2016 to 81%. The country's education minister blamed the results on school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as poverty, inequality, and inadequate infrastructure. The study also showed that 81% of South African children could not read for comprehension in any of the country's 11 official languages.