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A staggering 81% of Grade 4 pupils in South Africa can't read for meaning, the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) has revealed.
It means roughly eight out of 10 children need help locating and retrieving explicitly stated information in simple and easy text.
The Department of Basic Education released the findings that relate to South Africa on Tuesday morning.
The study is an assessment of reading achievement and is conducted every five years in around 40 countries.
The 2016 study found that 78% of South African children in Grade 4 could not read for meaning in any language. All 11 official languages were used in the assessment.
South Africa has participated in four PIRLS assessments since 2006.
The current figures show a regression of reading literacy levels among Grade 4 pupils to levels last seen in 2011.
In 2006, when South Africa first formed part of the study, it was found 13% of Grade 4 pupils could read for meaning, improving to 18% in 2011, before growing to 22% in 2016.
Before the results were announced on Tuesday morning, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga told the delegates gathered for the event that she was not expecting the 2021 results to be positive "given the negative and dire consequences of Covid-19".
She said the education system's response to the pandemic was "complex and challenging".
"Even before the pandemic, the education system faced significant historical challenges, such as poverty, inequality and inadequate infrastructure," said Motshekga.
She added that "due to the unprecedented disruptions caused by the pandemic, as much as 60% of teaching time was lost in certain grades in 2020, and up to 50% was lost in 2021".
"These extended periods of lost instructional time were particularly critical for children in the early grades and those attending pre-school, as they coincide with a crucial stage of their developmental journey."
The latest study involved assessing over 400 000 pupils in 57 countries.
In South Africa, 12 426 Grade 4 pupils were assessed in one of the 11 official languages, while 9 317 Grade 6 pupils were assessed in English or Afrikaans.
The department said that, despite the challenges of Covid-19, there were high participation rates in collecting data.
Speaking in 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that, by 2030, all 10-year-old children should be able to read for meaning.
Former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka established the Reading Panel in January last year to facilitate the achievement of Ramaphosa's goal.
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