Mother-tongue education is failing
/ 24 December 2025

Mother-tongue education is failing

The numbers tell a politically uncomfortable truth. A survey of all Grade 4 children in Makhanda’s no-fee public schools this year found that 51% of isiXhosa learners taught in English can read for meaning.  However, for those taught in isiXhosa — despite it being their mother tongue and despite decades of policy emphasising the value […]

The politics of literacy
/ 23 December 2025

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 findings confirmed what researchers suspected: only 31% of Grade 1 learners can identify 40 letter-sounds per minute — the minimum threshold for reading readiness. By Grade 3, 15% cannot read a […]

Padel Promises fuels youth grit
/ 21 December 2025

Padel Promises fuels youth grit

It’s only been five years since the first public padel courts were introduced to South Africans but it has since become the fastest growing sport in the country with over 100 000 active players involved.  The player base is evenly split between men and women, with nearly 60% aged 35–65. Now an organisation named Padel […]