By Johnathan Paoli
Enriching children’s experiences through reading and writing to elevate the unique value of African languages will by the focus of the Basic Education Department in September, which is Literacy Month.
This follows the department, the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), the Nal’ibali Trust, Room-to-Read, South African Primary Education Support Initiative (SAPESI), Fundza, and A Better Africa Foundation launching the Literacy Promotion Collective (LPC).
Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said that the LPC was poised to advance reading development rooted in African languages and culturally relevant practices under Unesco’s International Literacy Day theme of “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace”.
He said the LPC represented a landmark initiative aimed at fostering an inclusive literacy culture that celebrated and integrated Africa’s rich linguistic diversity during the month.
“By uniting these pivotal organisations, we are committed to enhancing literacy practices that reflect our continent’s cultural heritage and promote mutual understanding and peace through education,” Mhlanga said in a statement on Sunday.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has praised the collaboration as a significant milestone in the department’s commitment to enhancing literacy by embracing and integrating the diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes of Africa.
“The LPC aims to create an enriching educational environment where multilingualism is celebrated, and literacy development is deeply rooted in African cultural contexts,” Gwarube said.
NECT CEO Godwin Khosa emphasised the importance of home-language in teaching instruction, as learners who were taught using their home-language in the first six years of schooling fared better than those who were not taught in their home language.
Khosa said readers and storybooks written in African languages went a long way in restoring the esteem of African languages in the country.
“This collaboration signifies our commitment to solving the reading challenges we face in the country by recognizing the importance of African languages in literacy development,” the CEO said.
Fundza Literacy Trust Nadeema Musthan outlined the manner in which the LPC wold engage with communities across the country in meaningful ways.
She said that face-to-face activities and interactive workshops that brought literacy to life would be facilitated in order to create opportunities for direct engagement and hands-on learning experiences.
“The Literacy Promotion Collective marks a significant step in recognising the critical nature of collaboration and solidarity that will be required to advance literacy, reading, writing, and learning among South African youth today,” Musthan said.
Mlhanga said the department would organise children’s literacy festivals as well ashost reading dialogues to explore the benefits of multilingual education and its impact on literacy and social cohesion.
“Storytelling and writing initiatives will play a pivotal role as we launch programmes that highlight and preserve African narratives, connecting learners with their cultural heritages through literature,” he said.
The department invited educators, parents and community members to join in supporting the transformative initiative to make a significant impact on literacy development and build a brighter future for all.
INSIDE EDUCATION
