Picture: Pile of books donated to learners/Google

By REGINALD KANYANE

More primary schools across North West will benefit from the AVBOB and Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUP). Both entities are planning to donate thousands of books to primary schools across South Africa. The AVBOB CEO, Carl van der Riet together with OUP Managing Director, Hanri Pieterse, announced the 260 beneficiaries of the AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign on 15 June 2023.

Riet said access to books and reading for meaning is critical for children to acquire foundational literacy and progress through school. He said AVBOB, Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUP), and government mark the second year of the AVBOB Road To Literacy trolley library campaign.

“A tripartite partnership aimed at stimulating and promoting a passion for books and reading. Adjudicators had a tough task sifting through the more than 8 000 nominations submitted by South Africans throughout the country to determine the final and deserving beneficiaries of the 2023 campaign.

“The national AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign, aimed at instilling a culture of reading and improving the numeracy skills of primary school children across the country. Each trolley will be delivered with 500 books, which is an increase from the 430 books in 2022. Each AVBOB Road To Literacy trolley library has a value of R50 000 and the total investment value for the 2023 initiative is R13 million,” said Riet.

He further said, a recent global study on children’s reading ability put South Africa in the spotlight when the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study ranked South Africa last out of the 57 countries assessed. Riet added that, in 2021, the study tested the reading ability of 400 000 students globally and showed that 81% of South African children could not read for comprehension in any of the country’s 11 official languages.

“As part of AVBOB’s ongoing commitment to support literacy, van der Riet explained that the AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign with OUP and the government is a critical collaboration in response to a pervasive need in schools and society.

“The need to work together in both the private and public sectors to address universal challenges for the betterment of communities and future generations. AVBOB exists because of our members, and everything we do is for their benefit and for their communities. We do this by creating and sharing value through social investments like the Road To Literacy campaign,” he said.

The Minister of Department of Basic Education (DBE), Angie Motshega who delivered a keynote address said: “This campaign is a crucial step in our journey to instill a culture of reading and enhance the numeracy skills of primary school children across our beloved country. I am particularly delighted to share that this year’s campaign places special emphasis on reading resources in mother tongue languages.

“Extensive research has shown that teaching in a child’s mother tongue language reduces dropout rates and makes education more accessible and engaging. Moreover, we recognise the critical importance of developing numeracy skills during a child’s formative years. Together, let us ignite a love for reading, strengthen numeracy skills, and empower our children to reach new heights of knowledge and achievement.”

Some of the schools that benefited from the initiative are Ganyesa Primary School, Maphoitsile Primary School, Modimokwane Primary School, Mohajane Primary School and Oratile Kujane Charitable Foundation.

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