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Success story: Children in Sobral participate in reading time. Sobral has undergone a transformation from one of the poorest places in Northeast Brazil to a municipality that regularly hosts visits to schools regarded as among the best in Brazil. Photo: Centre for Reinventing Public Education
BETWEEN THE LINES SERIES

The politics of literacy

In November 2025, the R50 million Funda Uphumelele National Survey (FUNS) delivered the first comprehensive measurement of early-grade reading in all official languages. The…

  • Rod Amner
  • Lucas Nowick
8 min read
Healthy habits: Selunathi, Libanathi and Luminathi Maphele read from some of their favourite books. Photo: Kearabetswe Nkadimeng
CHILDREN S BOOKS

How 20 books make all the difference

Children growing up in homes with many books receive three years more schooling than children from bookless homes, a study shows

  • Cathy Gush
  • Kabelo Mafiri
  • Kearabetswe Nkadimeng
7 min read
Aced it: The winning Grahamstown Adventist Primary School team at the Phendulani Literary Quiz. Photo: Nozipho Maphalala
AFRICAN LANGUAGES

Give children high-quality books from Grades R-12: they will likely read them

Research shows that classroom libraries increase reading frequency by 70% compared with centralised libraries

  • Rod Amner
7 min read