Our Need

Mission | The Need | Our People | Our Partners

South Africa has an estimated 3 million illiterate adults and another 8 million are functionally illiterate. The importance of increasing access to education and stimulating a love of books and learning cannot be overestimated.

The majority of people living in Hout Bay and its surrounding areas are previously disadvantaged and poverty and hardship are an everyday reality. Despite the change in democracy, good schooling and housing are out of reach for most due to the scarcity of skills and availability of jobs.

The government schools available to the majority are overcrowded and under resourced. There is just one secondary school where the primary language is Afrikaans which only serves one third of the constituency.

Private vs. Public 2006 Education Statistics, released February 2008:

There are currently 949 539 learners at government schools across the Western Cape, and 28 978 learners at private schools in the province.

The average learner to teacher ratio at government schools is almost double that of the private schools - currently 32 to 1, compared to 17 to 1 at private schools.
The Grade 12 pass rate at public schools is 57.1%, versus 98.4% at private schools.
The average reading and writing score in Grade 3 (age 8) is 39%.
The average maths score is 30%.
Close to 60% of pupils are reported to drop out before Grade 12.

86% of learners in South Africa are in public schools compared to 2.5% in private schools, (11.5% in other learning institutions).

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Nelson Mandela