fyi : back issues

Winter 2005 - Engaging readers

Almost every student has read every book

Susan La Marca, Lunga Molopo and Mariana Du Toit

The SLAV KwaZulu-Natal project has been operating since 2000 and is probably very well known by now to SLAV members. During the years of our support SLAV members have contributed many thousands of dollars towards purchasing resources for the operation of four so-called ‘Australian’ schools in the region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The four primary schools that comprise the project are Middledale, Bangeni, Impandwini and Jagersdam. All four schools are many miles from the nearest town and are further isolated by a lack of public transport and facilities. Some of the teachers and students walk many miles each morning just to reach their school. All four are in the Ladysmith area of KwaZulu-Natal and are designated ‘deep rural’ schools.

Of the four schools only one has electricity, none of them have a telephone and two have no water supply. The schools consist of basic sheds with minimal furnishings.

In conjunction with the SLAV project, the ELITS (Education Library Information & Technology Services) Directorate in South Africa has been able to provide each school with two to three wheeler wagons for the storage of their library collections. The collections housed in these wagons consist of books allocated by government funding and those bought with SLAV monetary donations. A small number of items, mostly new books, were also sent across from Australia a couple of years ago but transport costs and duties make this an unsuitable approach for getting the best possible materials into the schools in the most cost-effective way.

In recent times, the SLAV committee of management has chosen to send funds to purchase books in South Africa for the school collections. This has many benefits. The schools can be provided with books in both Zulu and English, we are supporting the growing South African publishing industry, and the money that would have been spent on transport costs can be used to purchase more books.

The only exceptions to this practice was the posting across of 50 new paperback picture books that were donated to the cause by an interested benefactor, the Silvestro family. In this case, the postage was paid for by SLAV. The books, all new, colourful and appealing, were very much appreciated. We also sent, during 2004, a package of drawing materials to add to the schools’ resources.

The wagon arrangement for the resource collections in each school allows the books to be moved around amongst the students to facilitate and support learning at different levels. Attempts are made by the teachers to utilise the collection to support the curriculum and enhance learning whilst also encouraging the students to read for pleasure.
The schools have been very creative in their use of the resources, taking advantage of the opportunity to provide not only language support to students but also possibilities in the areas of drama, speech, art and storytelling. The collections are also made available to the wider community. SLAV members can be proud to have contributed something towards providing these valuable opportunities at the four schools.

In the current report from the ELITS Directorate (2005), there is mention of a very exciting development. In three of the four schools, one of the teachers is undertaking librarianship training to better facilitate the care and use of their school’s library collection. Such commitment by the teaching staff is to be applauded.

During 2005 all four school will be participating in a number of planned activities including a readathon and a festival of books. There are also plans for a book exhibit at which the communities will be encouraged to contribute books towards the school collections. The teachers are to be congratulated on their excellent efforts in doing all they can to extend the opportunities available to their students.

In the ELITS report there is also a list from one of the schools of their favourite books. Of those on the list, one will be well known to SLAV members: Bugalugs Bum Thief by Tim Winton! Only goes to prove that silliness is appealing the world over.

So next time that you are approached to support this excellent cause, please dig deep and understand that though what we have achieved so far has made a difference there is still a great deal to do. The recent ELITS report noted that in each of the schools almost every student has already read every book in the small library. It would be great to supply them with more!

Reference

ELITS Directorate, 2005, Report for the 4 Schools in the SLAV Project, Department of Education and Culture, Pietermaritzburg.

Susan La Marca is editor of Synergy and Co-ordinator of the SLAV KwaZulu-Natal support project. Lunga Molopo and Mariana Du Toit support the project at the ELITS Directorate, South Africa..