Latest news with #WorldLiteracyFoundation
The Citizen
23-04-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Over 2 in 5 households don't own a single book
Thousands of children enter formal schooling without the foundational literacy skills needed for success. Research from the World Literacy Foundation shows that children who lack early literacy skills are more likely to fall behind and face long-term educational challenges. The research shows that despite government's recognition of early childhood development (ECD) as crucial to reversing South Africa's literacy crisis, meaningful action has been delayed by three decades. Although the seventh administration has reaffirmed its focus on early childhood literacy, these commitments remain largely unfulfilled due to a lack of funding. 'Operating a compliant ECD programme costs nearly five times the per-learner subsidy, leaving many centres without sufficient resources,' explains Deb Zelezniak, CEO of the Santa Shoebox Project. 'Currently, 61% of ECD centres have fewer than 10 books for children, and only 56% provide age-appropriate reading materials.' The lack of access to books extends beyond ECD centres, with over 40% of South African households having no books at all. According to the Department of Basic Education and Unifec South Africa, this means many children enter Grade One without ever having held a book. 'While the R99m allocated over the Medium-term Expenditure Framework for early grade reading initiatives is a step in the right direction, we need immediate action. The urgency of South Africa's literacy crisis cannot be overstated,' stresses Zelezniak. In response, non-profits like the Santa Shoebox Project are stepping in to bridge the gap by installing reading corners in ECD centres, providing children with the essential resources they need to develop literacy skills. These spaces are filled with age-appropriate books, and children can engage with stories on their own or with a caregiver. To date, the organisation has installed over 220 reading corners in facilities around the country. Caregivers are also trained on how to incorporate books into the learning experience in ways that support ECD milestones. Between the ages of two and five, for example, these include pointing to objects in a book, turning pages independently, and beginning to grasp basic grammar concepts. Ultimately, these are the building blocks that help children read, write, communicate and connect with others – giving them a strong start at school and setting the stage for lifelong learning. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
NBC News
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Tennessee board recommends Jelly Roll be pardoned for crimes committed in his youth
Country music star Jelly Roll is a step closer to being granted a pardon for crimes he committed, including robbery, in his younger days, a Tennessee sheriff said. Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall said on X Tuesday that the state Board of Parole voted to endorse a pardon for the singer, legally known as Jason B. Deford, 40. The Associated Press reported that the board vote was unanimous, with one member recusing. Under Tennessee law, the matter is now before Gov. Bill Lee, who can grant a pardon, grant a commutation erasing Jelly Roll's criminal record, or turn down the request. Spokespersons for the board and for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. Hall said he asked the governor to pardon Jelly Roll roughly a year ago, and he indicated that Tuesday's vote was part of that endeavor. Jelly Roll, know for his face tattoos and prodigious presence, sharpened his rap skills in prison before blending them with country music for a career that earned him four Grammy Awards nominations in February. He has used his experience as a basis for some of his music and to inspire others imprisoned, attracted to a life of crime, or otherwise marginalized with little sense of hope. He speaks at prisons, rehabilitation programs and schools. In April, he accepted an award for his advocacy from the World Literacy Foundation at its annual summit at Oxford University, where a host likened him to a modern-day Johnny Cash. Jelly Roll has said he's not allowed to vote because of his criminal convictions. The artist said he spent most of the years between ages 14 and 25 behind bars, with his most consequential conviction being for a robbery. He admitted during a podcast last month that he sold drugs in his Nashville neighborhood, where "the only people who had money did crime." He said a low point in life was when a prison guard came to his cell to report his daughter had been born — 17 years ago. "I had the one pair of clothes that I was incarcerated in," the artist said on the SmartLess podcast."I had zero money. In fact, I was in debt. It was the most honest accountability and self-reflection moment in my life." Jelly Roll rapped in prison, he said, and eventually more than 200 prisoners surrounded him for Friday night performances. "We'd beat on the walls," he said on the podcast, referring to makeshift rap beats. "It felt like we'd be free for the night," he said. The artist was released from prison in late 2016, according to state records. He didn't immediately break through in music, but he clawed at his dreams, "living in a van and doing $50 shows," he said in the podcast. His music told some of his story. "Save Me" in 2020 includes the lines, "Somebody save me, me from myself/I've spent so long living in Hell/They say my lifestyle is bad for my health/It's the only thing that seems to help." Testifying in favor of new legislation addressing fentanyl overdoses, the singer told Congress last year that a passenger jet's worth of synthetic opioid users die everyday, often relatively unnoticed, in the United States. The deaths don't capture the attention of a plane crash because the people who died are less valued, he said. "America has been known to bully and shame drug addicts," he told federal legislators in January 2024. Jelly Roll said he's doing his part for those entangled in drugs and the justice system.
