Unequal access to resources
Another reason causing the low literacy rate is also the unequal resources allocated to different schools. Many schools in South Africa have limited access to resources, with only 21% of schools with libraries. Many students also do not receive their own copies of their textbooks. Rural schools have even less access to resources compared to urban schools, facing problems such as overcrowding, poor infrastructure and lack of reading materials excluding textbooks. "The government has neglected the rural schools and focuses more on town schools," the teacher said." (John, 2012). Some rural schools even have the lack of basic furniture such as tables and chairs, and students have to crowd around broken tables or sit on the cold floor to learn. These conditions are not conducive for the students' learning as students find it more difficult to focus and maintain discipline, and there are constant conflicts between students to fight for the limited tables and chairs. "Teachers are convinced that these glaring inadequacies are the cause of a "much higher rate of absenteeism" in affected grades, the affidavit states." (John, 2012). A higher rate of absenteeism means that more students are becoming absent in class and may eventually drop out of school. This lack of formal education plays a part in the low literacy rate. Students have also inaccess to facilities such as science laboratories. This meant that instead of doing practical work, students just memorise their work and are learning incompletely. This also contributes to the students learning less content than other students from other countries, and can play a part in the low literacy rate in South Africa (compared to other countries) (2010).