Johannesburg, 25 February 2025 - Just weeks after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), where he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to “ensuring that every child can read for meaning in the foundation phase,” a new report has been released by the 2030 Reading Panel. The 2025 report, released today in Johannesburg, provides critical insights into the country’s progress in transforming early-grade reading. One of the key findings of the report is that 80% of Grade 3 learners cannot read for meaning in any language as measured by the South African systemic assessment. Phemelo is joined in studio by Equal Education General Secretary Noncedo Madubedube to unpack the findings and recommendations of the report