Many South African boys are labeled 'poor readers', 'underperformers' or 'slow learners' without understanding their wider context, and worse, without targeted support to address their challenges.
The eagerly awaited matric results are in, and once again school dropout rates among boys and young men are in the headlines. The Department of Basic Education estimates that 40% of students drop out of school, mostly boys. Boys are also more likely to repeat a grade.
These statistics are well known, but they raise questions: what are the circumstances behind them, and, more importantly, what plans and strategies are in place to support our boys?
Shafika Ishaq's critical research study (2019) offers a glimpse into this issue. Using a “thick description” approach, Isaac looks beyond the “underperforming boy” and observes the lived realities of his subject, Kabelo, a nine-year-old boy from Soweto. Kabelo struggled to read in both English and Sesotho, but he was more than a struggling reader.
With Soweto as her vast playground, Kabelo demonstrated remarkable abilities: navigational knowledge, political awareness, family religious affiliations, and cultural practices. Yet, these strengths have been undervalued, misrecognized, and eclipsed by their educational challenges.
Isaac's comments about Cabello at 18 months highlight the importance of accepting and recognizing the whole person: the boy with the below literacy score. Like Kabello, many boys across South Africa suffer from weaknesses…