Reading and literacy levels have been of much concern, particularly as data from the pandemic years on learning loss are emerging. School campuses in the Philippines have just reopened, and studies reveal 9 out of 10 children suffer from learning poverty – the inability to read or understand a simple story by age 10. The results of a national test in the United States have shown that the performance of 9-year-olds in math and reading dropped to the levels from two decades ago.

As much of the world grapples with similar concerns over literacy and learning loss, Indonesia used the pandemic as an opportunity to change the national curriculum, placing a greater focus on literacy and reading. The removal of high-stakes exams is aimed at cultivating a love of reading and critical thinking in students, while emphasising mastery of basic literacy and numeracy skills over memorisation of content. In Malaysia, researchers advocate the creation of a ‘third space’ dedicated to reading as a pathway to promoting literacy in schools.

However, as with all efforts to improve literacy in the classroom, teachers themselves need to be avid readers to model the way for students. They will also need to have the competencies to facilitate complex discussions that arise from reading widely and critically – something many teachers may lack.