Date: 07/07/2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: International Association of School Librarianship Conference


OPENING ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE 32nd INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANSHIP (IASL) CONFERENCE, Durban International Convention Centre, 7 July 2003

The Programme Director,
MEC for Education, Mr Narend Singh,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen

A warm welcome to all our international and local delegates to one of our most pleasant places to be, especially during wintertime. I must confess that I have not been a librarian, but my association with libraries and books extends to my youth, and I have had the good fortune of being an author of books as well as a lifelong user and supporter of libraries. I have always been a firm believer of the thought expressed by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) on libraries when he says:

Consider what you have in the smallest chosen library. A company of the wisest and wittiest men that could be picked out of all civil countries in a 1000 years, have set in best order the results of their learning and wisdom. The men themselves were hid and inaccessible, solitary, impatient of interruption, fenced by etiquette; but the thought, which they did not (even) uncover to their bosom friend, is here written out in transparent words to us, the strangers of another age.

This definition, if we could call it that, has been extrapolated recently by Norman Cousins, who claims that:

A library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.

And Carl Sagan, in Cosmos, reiterates the importance of the library thus:

The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization; the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.

We would like to express our support to the initiatives of the International Association of School Librarianship of providing an international platform to all those who are interested in promoting effective school library media programmes as viable instruments in the educational process, and we laud your attempts to transform all societies of the world into literate and knowledgeable societies. May your bringing together of all nations to this international conference, here in Durban, culminate with resounding success in terms of achieving your objectives.

At the launch of the United Nations Literacy Decade on 13 February 2003, the Director General of Unesco, Koichiro Matsuura, highlighted the fact that "efforts to promote literacy are not new, but the persistent scandal of around 860 million people without access to literacy in today's world is both a chilling indictment and an urgent call for increased commitment." Unesco's statistics revealed that in the year 2000, one in five adults aged 15 years and above was illiterate, and that there were about 860 million illiterate adults in the world. Unesco projected that if the current trend continued; in 2015 there would be some 800 million illiterate adults. Women would account for two thirds of illiterate adults. In 2000 there were 236 million more illiterate women than men and it is projected that in 2015 the difference would be 215 million. Over a 100 million children have no access to school, and countless children, youth and adults who attend school or other education programmes fall short of the required level to be considered literate in today's complex world. It is also shocking to note that 70 percent of the world's illiterate adults lived in three regions: Sub Saharan Africa, South and West Asia and the Arab States and North Africa. It is projected that by 2015, the literacy rate would have increased to 85%, below the EFA (Education For All) goal of 90%. In light of these shocking statistics the work of the International Association of School Librarianship, therefore, fortifies the global effort to eradicate illiteracy and reinforces the "decade of literacy (2003-2012)" as advocated by Unesco.

For South Africa, Unesco's statistics for the year 2000, revealed that for the population aged between 15 and 24, 8,7% was illiterate, and projected the illiteracy level of 5,6% by the year 2015. As a Department of Education we are working to advance this priority in a number of ways:

In 2000 we launched two initiatives to promote literacy and reading in society. These are the South African National Literacy Initiative (SANLI) and the Masifunde Sonke (Let's Read Together) campaign. These are collaborative projects between civil society and the Ministry of Education, with a view to promoting the relevance of literacy skills in modern society and encouraging the values and importance of reading in schools, homes, libraries and the workplace. Last year alone we reached more than 90 000 adult learners through the SANLI programmes and initiatives. This year we expect to see an improvement of at least 15% on that figure. Even more learners are targeted through the direct engagement of service providers. At least another 200 000 are being reached through partnerships with institutions such as Unisa and through our networks of church groupings, small NGOs, and community-based organisations. The Independent Electoral Commission is also lending their hand by providing learning materials in voter education and the registration of previously unregistered citizens.

There are presently many learners migrating from the formal Adult Basic Education and Training sector to SANLI programmes because of the conducive and convenient environment in which SANLI programmes are conducted. As a result, over the three-year period, 1999 to 2001, we managed to reach more than 800 000 learners in formal ABET and literacy programmes, thereby meeting the target we had set for ourselves in this area. I have no doubt that once we add the figures for the formal ABET sector for 2002 this figure will be well over 1 million.

Through our reading campaign, Masifunde Sonke, we would like to build a nation of lifelong readers who value literature including that which is written in African languages, encourage all tiers of government to promote the value of reading, within our education system we would like to integrate reading for pleasure and lifelong learning at the core of the curriculum, develop a strong library network backed by an equitable book distribution system, and have a flourishing writing and publishing industry to support the heightened demand for books and other reading materials from the education sector and general public.

To achieve this the Masifunde Sonke campaign utilises all the available resources - schools, public libraries, religious institutions, publishers, business sector, non-governmental and community based organisations and all those who are involved in the promotion of reading. All are encouraged to work together to build a nation of readers. By the end of the campaign it is hoped that every individual will pick up a book and say, "I can read this all by myself".

Apart from the aforementioned initiatives to promote literacy, the Department of Education is also presently working on a Policy Framework for School Libraries. This draft document locates itself within the context of socio-political and educational transformation that is driven by the new legislative framework and the educational paradigm shift to outcomes-based education. To be most effective in our context, the use of school libraries will need to be supportive of the other efforts to transform the education and training system.

The draft policy argues that teachers and learners will only be able to access an outcomes-based curriculum if they have access to learning resources. This has implications for the way school libraries conceptualise, manage and provide resources. The draft policy document recommends different models of school libraries to provide access to resources for learners and draws attention to the relationship between the school library, the curriculum and learning resources. It also supports the view that the school library is a facility ideally suited to provide learners with a wide range of curriculum-oriented resources in diverse media forms, as required by an outcomes-based education system.

The centrality of the school library in South Africa is evident when considering the critical cross field outcomes of our curriculum, namely to:

* Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking
* Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community
* Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively
* Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information
* Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes
* Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others
* Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

These outcomes show an awareness and understanding of the essential role of learning resources in achieving educational objectives. To access the curriculum and achieve these critical cross-field outcomes, teachers and learners will have to interact with learning resources. The shift in our educational focus from teacher/content-centred learning to learner/process-centred learning is concomitant with the shift in the role of the library from being a passive repository of resources to being a dynamic, learner-oriented resource-based learning centre in which learners play an active role in resourcing their own learning.

The purpose of the school library then becomes wide-ranging in this context:

* It has a central place in providing a range of information resources in support of the curriculum and of learners' personal and social development; and
* It has been recognised as part of the national information network, contributing to the provision of access to information needed by "individual citizens if they are to play a full and effective role in society".

The majority of our public schools have no functional school libraries. School libraries are generally found in the schools that were formerly meant for whites, coloureds and Indians. This has created great disparities in teaching and learning conditions. It is also acknowledged that provincial education departments do not have the finances or the personnel to immediately close the gap between the schools and so attain an equal level of library service in every school. At the same time no library model will ever be able to satisfy teachers' and learners' complete resource needs in accessing the curriculum.

To diminish the backlogs, the draft policy document recommends that provincial departments follow either a transitional or phased-in approach or an incremental approach of slowly increasing the number of schools with centralised traditional libraries.

Each option has its strengths and weaknesses. The incremental approach entails an uncompromising approach where the education department provides a centralised school library for each school. This process could only be implemented gradually as it will take provincial departments many years before there is full provision of school libraries in the light of present backlog of schools without libraries. This might widen the gap between privileged and disadvantaged schools even more. A further disadvantage is that it implies that learners must forego access to library-based resources until it is their school's turn to have a new library. This approach is based on the availability of funds and implies greater dependency on education authorities for improvement in the quality of teaching and learning.

The transitional approach introduces flexibility, diversity and choice through the provision of a "menu" of library models from which a school community could make a choice. This greater flexibility in the choice of a school library model might generate greater involvement by the governing body and the school community. This approach thus makes provision for partnerships between interested groups and private enterprises and the schools.

In light of the enormous backlogs in education and the conditions in underdeveloped rural areas and townships, the limits on departmental budgets, and the moral imperative to provide learners with access to at least a minimum of library-based resources sooner rather than later, the draft policy document recommends the transitional approach. Within this approach various school library models are identified as acceptable alternatives to the traditional library:

1. One school one library

This is a model of a school with its own centralised library collection and teacher librarian, and it is characterised by the features of a traditional school library.

2. One classroom one library

This model focuses on the use of resources in the classroom, primarily for curriculum related activities. It comprises a box or set of items, which are appropriate to the level of learners and the curriculum programme. Hence this model may be called the box library.

3. One cluster of schools one library

The library model serving a cluster of schools is based on the argument that the resources and facilities of centralised school libraries, while representing a substantial investment, are often under-utilised. This school cluster concept makes possible in principle, the maximum sharing of resources among all educational institutions in a particular locality.

4. One community one library

This model is based on the principle that the teachers, learners and the general community can share the same library facility. This model is referred to as a school community, joint use, or a multi purpose library. In this model the sharp divisions between adult, youth and junior collections as found in the traditional libraries are applied less rigidly so that there is a more flexible approach in making the collection accessible to all learners.

5. One region one library service

The regional library service provides various library-related services to schools within a region. The existence of a regional library service does not prohibit schools from having their own school libraries. However it is a cost effective way of optimising the limited resources of a region by centralising the few professional library staff so that they are able to service a greater number of schools.

6. One learner one library

It is now possible with advancements in information technology, for learners to have electronic access to library-based resources located beyond the confines of the school - "the virtual library". Although this model has great appeal because of its seemingly limitless possibilities, it is only practicable in schools with electricity and the necessary computer support service.

The draft policy proposes that provinces should not commit themselves to one single model for providing learners with access to learning resources. A flexible system in which provincial departments offer schools a "menu" of acceptable library models is suggested. School management teams and governing bodies, in consultation with district and regional officials, should select the model which would suit their current local needs best.

Whatever models schools implement, the draft policy proposes that the following principles should underpin the norms and standards for school libraries:

a) Flexibility: An approach which is sensitive and responsive to local conditions and needs
b) Redress of past disparities: Those learners who have been denied opportunities to access the curriculum through learning resources have to be prioritised in departmental spending for school libraries
c) Progression towards equity: Departmental provision of library services to schools should be directed towards providing learners with equitable access to library based resources
d) Cognitive development: The main obligation of the school library is to provide access to the curriculum and learners' cognitive development
e) Effectiveness: Within the school library, the learners' and teachers' access to library resources should be evaluated to ensure that learning and teaching is enhanced and that it impacts on the cognitive needs and development of the learner
f) Inclusivity: The entire school community should participate from the early stages of development of the school library model
g) Choice: a menu of library model options should be available to the school community so that they could decide to implement a model that is appropriate for their needs.

The draft policy for school libraries also proposes standards in the sense of qualitative benchmarks for all library models. These generic standards compel every school to:

* Have a library committee;
* Have its own library policy;
* Conduct an assessment of the school community's cognitive and curricular needs and outcomes-based requirements in relation to library-based resources;
* Conduct a regular evaluation of its provision of library-based resources;
* Receive departmental funding for provision of library-based resources;
* Include library-based resources as cost items in its annual budget;
* Provide teachers and learners with access to library-based resources;
* Comply with a minimum collection item to learner ratio for its library model;
* Have at least one educator responsible for managing the library model;
* Have a system of replenishing its library-based resources;
* Have access to an advisory service; and
* Provide teachers and learners with adequate space to access library-based resources in comfort and safety.

The ratification of this policy by all stakeholders will compel every school to establish a school library and provide the necessary resources to its learners and teachers, and in doing so meet the objective of the International Association of School Librarianship which is to advocate the development of school libraries throughout all countries.

In conclusion, allow me to wish this International Association of School Librarianship every success in all its deliberations. As a writer I hold the promotion of literacy very close to my heart. It is my fervent hope that this conference will help to buttress the Literacy Decade and bolster the global effort to stem the tide of illiteracy.

I thank you

Issued by Ministry of Education
7 July 2003