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EDWIN NAIDU
“Education is a fundamental human right of every woman, man and child” – UNESCO
In keeping with the theme of ensuring access to education, funeral insurance firm AVBOB and Oxford University Press will give away 260 trolley libraries equipped with books donated by Oxford University Press (OUP) Southern Africa, representing 11 official South African languages, numeracy books and other learning resources, to deserving primary schools and education NPOs.
The campaign is part of instilling a culture of reading and contributing to improving the numeracy skills of primary school children across the country.
Kebo Mosweusweu, AVBOB General Manager of Shared Value and Sustainability, says experts through various studies have found that teaching in a mother tongue helps reduce dropout rates and makes education more accessible and engaging for learners.
“Equally important is the need to develop numeracy skills at the formative ages of children. Through this year’s campaign, we aim to reinforce further our commitment to instilling a love of reading in primary school learners nationally,” says Mosweusweu.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) latest findings show that 78% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa could not read meaningfully in any language because they need to be taught basic literacy in the language they speak at home. This means that only 22% of the country’s 10-year-olds understand what they have read.
Hanri Pieterse, Managing Director of Oxford University Press Southern Africa, says a good reader needs a developed written vocabulary to read with meaning. “This is why a child must learn how to read in their mother tongue. When they do; they develop this written vocabulary more easily as the words they read match the words they hear and speak”.
Oxford University Press Southern Africa is South Africa’s leading literacy publisher and has donated 130 000 books in all 11 official languages for this campaign.
In 2022, 180 trolley libraries were given to the winning recipients; this year (2023), that number has increased by 80 to 260 trolley libraries. The trolley libraries are sturdy structures fitted with wheels used to store the books manufactured by AVBOB Industries in Bloemfontein.
Last year, each trolley library was equipped with 430 books, whereas in 2023, each trolley will be delivered with 500 books. Each AVBOB Road to Literacy trolley library has a value of R50 000.
The total investment value for the 2023 competition is R13 million, an increase from R10 million in 2022. You can give a child the opportunity to read in their mother tongue by nominating a school/NGO in your community to receive one of 260 trolley libraries each to the value of R50 000.
How to nominate a school?
Calls for nominations for this year’s campaign will open on 01 March 2023 at 09h00. The public is encouraged to take part in this initiative by submitting electronic nominations as to why their choice of school or educational NPO deserves to win a trolley library equipped with books.
To nominate a school or an educational NPO, the nominator must include the desired language for the library so that the winners can receive books in their preferred language. Nominators can nominate deserving primary schools or educational NPOs who serve learners in Grades R – 7.
Please visit https://clickme1.zero-data.co.za/RTL_PR to select your chosen beneficiary.
INSIDE EDUCATION
