{"id":94662,"date":"2025-01-29T10:42:13","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T08:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=94662"},"modified":"2025-01-29T10:42:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T08:42:13","slug":"csir-and-ngiyaqonda-tackling-sas-literacy-crisis-with-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/csir-and-ngiyaqonda-tackling-sas-literacy-crisis-with-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"CSIR and Ngiyaqonda: Tackling SA’s Literacy Crisis with Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n

3-minute read<\/em>
\n29 January 2025 | 10:33 CAT<\/p>\n

\"\"

A young learner engages with the Ngiyaqonda app, a CSIR initiative aimed at improving home language literacy through interactive speech and text technology. (Image – Wirestock)<\/p><\/div>\n

A recent international study has sent shockwaves through South Africa\u2019s education sector, revealing that more than eight out of ten Grade 4 learners cannot read for basic meaning in their home language. This latest report has reignited concerns over the country\u2019s ongoing literacy crisis, with experts warning that the situation has far-reaching consequences.<\/p>\n

The issue of language proficiency is also at the centre of the debate. Gone are the days where the assumption is that you have to know English or French to make industrial progress. Countries like Japan, Korea, and Germany have thrived using their home languages. The focus should be on reading for meaning and applying knowledge, not just learning English.<\/p>\n

In an effort to tackle the crisis, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched the \u2018Ngiyaqonda\u2019 <\/strong>project, meaning \u2018I understand\u2019<\/strong> in isiZulu. This research and development initiative leverages speech and text technology to enhance home language literacy. The project aims to equip learners with tools to improve their reading comprehension and language proficiency.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Radio Islam International<\/a>, Senior Researcher from CSIR, Dr Lorette Marais explained the initiative\u2019s significance: \u201cWe have an extremely high dropout rate in South Africa, and it\u2019s difficult not to conclude that this is significantly due to the literacy crisis. Children struggle to read in their home language, and by Grade 4, they are expected to learn in English, creating an almost impossible catch-up game for educators.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ngiyaqonda project is supported by the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture and incorporates artifacts from previous research initiatives. It functions as an interactive application that allows children to engage with text and speech in their home language while gradually building proficiency in English. \u201cIt provides learners with a dynamic interface where they can listen to speech, respond to texts, and receive automatic feedback on their progress,\u201d said Dr Marais.<\/p>\n

The project has already been piloted among Grade 3 learners in Mamelodi and Soweto, yielding promising results. \u201cTeachers who have used the application report positive experiences, and learners are engaging well with the platform,\u201d Dr Marais confirmed. However, accessibility remains a challenge, as many learners lack access to digital devices and stable internet connections.<\/p>\n

To address this issue, the CSIR is exploring ways to make the application less dependent on internet access. \u201cTechnology is costly, but it is still more scalable and cost-effective than training new teachers. We are working towards moving some functionalities offline to ensure that learners in underprivileged areas can benefit,\u201d Dr Marais explained.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, the CSIR plans to expand the project by incorporating more indigenous languages and making the application freely available on the Play Store. \u201cOur goal is to create an equitable solution that serves all South African learners. We hope to see meaningful progress in the coming months,\u201d Dr Marais stated.<\/p>\n

With South Africa\u2019s literacy crisis showing no signs of abating, initiatives like Ngiyaqonda offer a glimmer of hope. However, experts stress that a multi-stakeholder approach\u2014including government, educators, and the private sector\u2014is essential to ensuring sustainable improvements in literacy levels across the country.<\/p>\n

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Dr Laurette Marais here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 29 January 2025 | 10:33 CAT A recent international study has sent shockwaves through South Africa\u2019s education sector, revealing that more than eight out of ten Grade 4 learners cannot read for basic meaning in their home language. This latest report has reignited concerns over the country\u2019s ongoing literacy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":94664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-29-103706.jpg?fit=888%2C717&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-oCO","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-27 22:56:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}