Transforming Education Together

Who Are We?

28 Years of Closing the Literacy Gap

Since 1998, Rally to Read has worked to close the literacy gap in under-resourced schools across South Africa. Over the past 28 years, the programme has reached approximately 1 000 schools, trained 16 000 teachers, and improved literacy outcomes for more than 700 000 learners. With support from 160 corporate and individual sponsors, over R120 million has been invested in quality literacy resources, teacher development, parental involvement, and sustainable educational interventions.

Rally to Read equips teachers with practical training and ongoing support, helping them create stronger classroom environments where learners can build the reading skills they need to succeed.

Programme Objectives

Resource Provision – Equipping schools with quality educational resources, including library boxes, graded readers, stationery, and curriculum-aligned learning materials.

Teacher Development – Building teacher capacity through professional development, instructional coaching, and ongoing classroom support.

Learner Literacy Development – Helping improve reading proficiency and foster a culture of reading through access to quality books and literacy interventions.

School Leadership Sustainability – Strengthening school management and establishing sustainable literacy practices that create long-term educational impact.

Partnerships – Collaboration with corporate, government (DBE), and community partners to expand access to quality education and maximise programme impact.

Programme Enhancement

Instructional Leadership Training

• Equips school leaders with the leadership and management skills required to drive literacy outcomes across their schools.
• Builds capacity for monitoring and supporting classroom instruction, ensuring literacy strategies introduced through Rally to Read are embedded in everyday teaching practice.
• Strengthens school leaders’ ability to coach and mentor teachers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in reading and language instruction.
• Provides tools for data-informed decision-making, enabling leadership teams to track learner progress and target support where it is needed most.
• Fosters collaboration between school management and Rally to Read facilitators, aligning leadership priorities with the programme’s literacy goals.
• Supports the long-term sustainability of literacy gains by developing internal leadership capacity, rather than relying solely on external intervention.