By Levy Masiteng
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on Tuesday handed over a container library to Thongwana High stocked with more than 4,000 books in honour of National Book Week and International Literacy Day (ILD).
“With more than 1000 matric learners and an impressive 96.7% matric pass rate in the 2025 NSC exams, Thongwana High School is an important example of what learners and educators can achieve even through difficult circumstances,” Gwarube said.
This year’s ILD theme is Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity, which UNESCO said “highlights the role literacy plays not only in education, but also in creating opportunities, improving well-being and building more sustainable societies”.
Gwarube said Thongwana High’s container library was the first of its kind in the area.
The handover followed another book donation by Gwarube on Monday, when she visited Mengu Primary School and donated two trolley libraries, each containing 500 books.
The libraries are intended to support learners in both the Foundation and Intermediate Phases, strengthening access to age-appropriate reading material from the early stages of schooling.
The trolley libraries are being provided through the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign, which has expanded its 2026 rollout to 2,000 trolley libraries in all of the country’s official languages, including Braille.
International Literacy Day was established by UNESCO in 1966 and first observed in 1967. Six decades later, UNESCO said at least 739 million young people and adults still lack basic literacy skills.
Said Gwarube: “Building strong reading foundations starts early. Our learners must have the opportunity to develop the skills to read with understanding and read for meaning. By increasing access to books and reading resources, we are giving children the tools they need to learn, grow and succeed.”
INSIDE EDUCATION
