GETTING THE NATION TO READ Mr HM Mweli Presentation at SLYSIG - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

GETTING THE NATION TO READ Mr HM Mweli Presentation at SLYSIG National Executive Committee Strategic Planning Session in Mpumalanga on 23 May 2015

Presentation outline 1. Purpose 2. Problem Statement 3. Background 4. Progress on the Implementation of the Reading Promotion 5. Library and Information Services 6. Way forward

1. Purpose To present the School Library & Youth Services Interest Group(SLYSIG) with the latest progress on the implementation of the Reading Promotion and Library and Information Services (LIS) Management Plan

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT : READING AND LIS Findings of the Ministerial Reading Audit and National Education Evaluation Development Unit (NEEDU) on the state of reading in our schools conclude that: • We have a poor reading culture nationally; • We have had a trend of very low learning outcomes in national, regional and international tests; • Text utilisation to improve learning outcomes has been very low; • Teachers don't seem to be fully equipped to teach reading effectively;

PROBLEM STATEMENT... cont • Poor resourcing and utilisation of libraries and Information services; and • Lack of collaboration between role players involved with regard to the promotion of reading and literacy initiatives. • The NEIMS Standard Reports (October 2014) indicates that: o About 3 300 schools have centralised libraries with some resources; and o Approximately 8 000 have classroom collections.

3. BACKGROUND Initiatives conducted by DBE include : – 100 Storybook project; – Drop All and Read Campaign; – Foundations for Learning Campaign; – National Reading Strategy; – Foundation Phase Reading Conference; – Early Grade Reading Assessment pilot; – National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy; – Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS); – DBE Workbook project; and – Annual National Assessments.

3. Background…cont • In response to the Ministerial Reading Audit Report (2013) and the NEEDU report (2013): – Reading promotion and Library and Information Systems(LIS) was declared a national priority in May 2014, giving effect to the implementation of a five-year plan. – This report maps out the progress achieved to date with regard to reading and library information services for the period commencing from May 2014 until April 2015.

4. PROGRESS ON READING PROMOTION 8

4.1 MONITORING AND REPORTING ON PROVINCIAL READING PROGRAMMES Provincial reading interventions are monitored and evaluated across the sector against 4 main pillars namely: • Provisioning of Reading resources; • Teacher training and support programmes; • Advocacy and communication; and • Provisioning and access to library information services

4.2 PROVISIONING OF READING RESOURCES • Eastern Cape and Limpopo have made progress in terms of the provisioning of Foundation Phase resources (Big books, Graded readers, phonics programmes) in both Home Language and English First Additional Language. • Gauteng, Free State and Western Cape have provided Grade R classes with story books .

4.3 MONITORING , EVALUATION AND SUPPORT • Reading and Writing workshops for Grade 1 to 9 and Language workshops for FET have been rolled out in targeted districts across provinces. • Piloting of Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) in Grade 1 has been implemented in 10 schools per district in the Eastern Cape. • Free State has launched a Story Book project for Grade 3. 600 story books have been written in Sepedi by Grade 3 learners. • The Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State, Northern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga are using the draft Reading Norms.

4.4 ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION • Reading events such as Readathons, Spelling Bee Competitions, Literacy Festivals, Show and tell, Essay competitions are hosted across provinces. • Free State and KwaZulu-Natal issued a circular to make the half hour Drop all and Read campaign mandatory in all schools

4.5 PROVISIONING AND ACCESS TO LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES • Western Cape and Free State have made mobile libraries available to multi-grade schools in rural districts. • Mpumalanga procured 20 mobile libraries for rural schools. • Reading club projects have been launched in Gauteng, Western Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape. • The Northern Cape has facilitated a partnership with the National Library Services, which has resulted in block book loans to schools. • Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Western Cape and Eastern Cape held teacher training workshops to mediate the National Library and Information Service guidelines. • Gauteng in partnership with key stakeholders has sourced mobile libraries and library books for targeted schools.

4.6 DBE READING INITIATIVES AND PROGRESS • Draft Reading Norms have been developed; • Resuscitation of Drop All and Read Programme; • Provision of English Grade 4 Reading books; • Implementation of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) in pilot schools; • Implementation of the Early Grade Reading Study in North West province; • Development of a Reading Series for Grades R to 3;and • Hosting a Reading Roundtable on 31 March 2015.

5. LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES 15

5.1 Comprehensive Four-year Plan for School Libraries • A comprehensive plan to provide school library services to the majority of schools by 2019 is being developed in collaboration with the Office of the Minister. • The plan includes schools with all types of library provisioning at present, from multi-grade schools, through to schools with no library structures and resources, to schools with structures and some resources but no full-time library staff. • The roles of all levels of education, government structures, the private sector and NGOs have been articulated in the plan. • The plan is in the initial stages of development. Funding needs will be developed.

5.2 BOOK FLOOD CAMPAIGN • The DBE launched the national book flood in Mandela Month between July and August 2014 at DBE headquarters (Sol Plaatje House and Menlyn Shopping Centre). More than 500 fiction and non- fiction books were donated and these were distributed to targeted schools. • Book Floods were hosted between October 2014 and April 2015 in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

5.3 SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSIST ANT PROGRAMME • A Basic School Library Training Manual has been developed (completed in March 2015) and will be circulated to provincial education LIS officials for input and comments. • The second draft of a matrix of accredited library training and sources of funding will be available by 15 April 2015. • An Agreement has been finalised with PSETA to enrol 1000 unemployed youth in a school library assistant learnership programme. • Collaboration with Department of Arts and Culture and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) o The amended draft of the guidelines will be completed by 30 April 2015. It has been sent to DAC for approval.

5.4 LIS PROGRESS • Reading Clubs : Branches S, C and T are working together to implement reading clubs. • Advocacy for National Guidelines for Library and Information Services was done in LIS provincial meeting that was held on 17-18 November 2014. • Vodacom and other service providers have included ICT reading material in the ASIDi school libraries. • School libraries will be used to promote reading for pleasure through a reading campaign starting in April 2015 and build up to a climax on International Literacy Day 8 September 2015

5.5 LAUNCH OF 1 000 SCHOOLS LIBRARY CAMP AIGN • The campaign is centred around the theme, “ A reading nation is a leading nation .” The campaign consists of two parts namely, revitalising of 1 000 functional school libraries throughout the country; and reading promotion activities targeting all communities. • Revitalisation of 1 000 school libraries – Schools that have existing libraries that are not functional have been selected for the campaign. The benefiting schools where the libraries will be resuscitated have been allocated to the provinces pro rata according to the number of schools in the province. – The criteria for the selection of the schools were as follows: • There must be an existing structure. • The structure must have minimal resources. • The structure must be located within a functioning school environment. • The school must be serving historically disadvantaged learners

5.5 LAUNCH OF 1 000 SCHOOLS LIBRARY CAMP AIGN…(2) • A planning committee consisting of officials from national, provinces and schools, as well as NGOs, Municipal libraries and Department of Arts and Culture met on Monday 23 March 2015 to begin the process of finalising a plan. • Three key objectives of the plan are: – revitalising the selected libraries, – using libraries to promote reading, and – sustaining the libraries and reading.

6. WAY FORWARD • Strengthen the network and collaboration with social partners; • Finalise reading norms by June 2015; • Strengthen collaboration strategy with DAC with regard to the provisioning and access to Library and Information Services; • Monitor and evaluate implementation of EGRA project; • Conduct research on reading norms for African languages; • Implementation of Teacher Training and Support plan; • Finalise the learnership funding for library assistants; • Finalise the first draft of the Library training manual by 31 May 2015; and • Implement the 1000+ Schools Library Campaign.