Date: 08/09/2003
Source: Deputy Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: International Literacy Day
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND READ EDUCATION TRUST INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY CELEBRATION, Gold Reef City Theme Park, 8 September 2003
Director of Ceremonies, MEC for Education, Mr Ignatius Jacobs, Director General, Mr Thami Mseleku, READ National Director, Ms Cynthia Hugo, Deputy Chairperson of Masifunde Sonke, Ms Beulah Thumbadoo, Members of the Board and Staff of READ, Members of the Ministerial Committee of Masifunde Sonke, Officials from the Department, Educators, Learners, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
Today is the UNESCO International Literacy Day to recognise and create awareness about the importance and value of developing every person's ability to read and write. Today, the Department of Education has decided to celebrate this special day in partnership with READ Education Trust. This year's theme "Together we Develop: Literacy, Learning and a Voice for All", emphasises the importance of partnerships and everyone's involvement in this war against illiteracy and alliteracy.
The current literacy rate in South Africa is estimated at 93%. Although comprehensive policy and legislative frameworks related to general schooling, including literacy education, such as the South African Schools Act, New National Curriculum Statements for FET and GET, the Language in Education Policy and ABET Policy are in place, a specific focus on reading is still lacking.
Insufficient research, monitoring and evaluation have been focused on capturing, synthesising and analysing data within the 'reading' chain. There are sectors within the chain, and specialist research organisations, that evaluate certain aspects, but this data is rarely pulled together to provide a holistic framework of understanding upon which long-term decisions can be made.
Last week we celebrated Adult Learners Week and READATHON Week. The department's Masifunde Sonke Project and Read Education Trust, agreed to celebrate this day together as a culmination of the READATHON Week, during which all our schools engaged in activities to promote the culture of reading in their environments. This joint commemoration is an attempt to motivate and encourage schools to celebrate the International Literacy Day with the rest of South Africa's adult learners. The Department of Education and READ Education Trust would like to extend our gratitude and commendations to Maskew Miller Longman and People's Bank, for their generous contribution to this event.
No one can dispute the fact that reading broadens one's mind and extends one's horizons. It compels people to think about things they never thought possible, and plays an important role in changing perceptions or behaviours. The more readers we have as a country, the easier it would be for information, policies and opinions to be communicated to the citizens. The slow pace of development in developing countries can largely be attributed to low literacy levels.
Storytelling is our first connection to reading and writing. Storytelling is as old as human tradition and civilisation. The power of the word has helped to repair and cement community relations, and give a people a sense of identity. Older people used to tell stories through which they imparted crucial knowledge to the young ones. But the oral tradition, in much the same way as the electronic media such as radio and television, are a passive and ephemeral form of conveying information and knowledge, because they rely on individual memory. As time goes on, the original stories are embellished, adapted and even distorted. In the end, very little of the original message remains or is forgotten altogether.
In order to store and preserve important information and knowledge, we need to document it in writing, so that future readers can benefit from the primary sources. It is the duty of every generation to document its experiences as much as possible, to provide posterity with the means by which it can piece together its history and identity.
Those of you, who have been involved in the processes of land restitution claims, have had a taste of how difficult it is to piece together a history of dispossession. Very often rightful claimants are short-changed by those who have the money and power because there is no reliable data on which conclusive evidence could be based, to prove the claimants' right to the land of their forefathers.
It is crucial for our education system to nurture reading and writing skills in our children from a very young age. Their mastery of all other subjects hinges on these particular skills. As a nation we would have achieved great success, if more of our children could aspire for careers in writing such as journalism, creative writing and other forms of documenting information. Our task in this regard would become so much easier if parents are involved, in order to provide the necessary guidance and stimuli. No teacher or parent could ever guess within which child, under his or her mentorship, lies a Wole Soyinka, Buchi Emecheta, Miriam Tladi, Ngugi wa Thi'ongo, Chinua Achebe, Eskia Mphahlele and many others. Our history shall never be authentic, and accurately capture our emotions and aspirations, until we write it ourselves.
As the Masifunde Sonke project progresses into its fourth year, it is becoming more apparent that we need to engage all sectors in the "appreciation of books" and "reading for pleasure" programmes. This is the only way in which we can effectively raise awareness about the importance of reading, and to promote and encourage reading and writing in all or people.
The Masifunde Sonke project values all the public and private initiatives in the promotion of reading, because it sees this as the most effective way of promoting good working relationships among organisations involved in reading promotion. The project has thus adopted a decentralised strategy in order to rally large-scale participation, and to give its initiatives greater meaning and depth.
In closing, allow me to convey our sincere appreciation for the continuing support that we are receiving from READ through the READATHON. Our gratitude also goes to Maskew Miller Longman for donating books to the participating schools, and to the People's Bank for sponsoring the prizes for the reading rap competitions.
I thank you.
Issued by the Deputy Ministry of Education
8 September 2003
Source: Deputy Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: International Literacy Day
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND READ EDUCATION TRUST INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY CELEBRATION, Gold Reef City Theme Park, 8 September 2003
Director of Ceremonies, MEC for Education, Mr Ignatius Jacobs, Director General, Mr Thami Mseleku, READ National Director, Ms Cynthia Hugo, Deputy Chairperson of Masifunde Sonke, Ms Beulah Thumbadoo, Members of the Board and Staff of READ, Members of the Ministerial Committee of Masifunde Sonke, Officials from the Department, Educators, Learners, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
Today is the UNESCO International Literacy Day to recognise and create awareness about the importance and value of developing every person's ability to read and write. Today, the Department of Education has decided to celebrate this special day in partnership with READ Education Trust. This year's theme "Together we Develop: Literacy, Learning and a Voice for All", emphasises the importance of partnerships and everyone's involvement in this war against illiteracy and alliteracy.
The current literacy rate in South Africa is estimated at 93%. Although comprehensive policy and legislative frameworks related to general schooling, including literacy education, such as the South African Schools Act, New National Curriculum Statements for FET and GET, the Language in Education Policy and ABET Policy are in place, a specific focus on reading is still lacking.
Insufficient research, monitoring and evaluation have been focused on capturing, synthesising and analysing data within the 'reading' chain. There are sectors within the chain, and specialist research organisations, that evaluate certain aspects, but this data is rarely pulled together to provide a holistic framework of understanding upon which long-term decisions can be made.
Last week we celebrated Adult Learners Week and READATHON Week. The department's Masifunde Sonke Project and Read Education Trust, agreed to celebrate this day together as a culmination of the READATHON Week, during which all our schools engaged in activities to promote the culture of reading in their environments. This joint commemoration is an attempt to motivate and encourage schools to celebrate the International Literacy Day with the rest of South Africa's adult learners. The Department of Education and READ Education Trust would like to extend our gratitude and commendations to Maskew Miller Longman and People's Bank, for their generous contribution to this event.
No one can dispute the fact that reading broadens one's mind and extends one's horizons. It compels people to think about things they never thought possible, and plays an important role in changing perceptions or behaviours. The more readers we have as a country, the easier it would be for information, policies and opinions to be communicated to the citizens. The slow pace of development in developing countries can largely be attributed to low literacy levels.
Storytelling is our first connection to reading and writing. Storytelling is as old as human tradition and civilisation. The power of the word has helped to repair and cement community relations, and give a people a sense of identity. Older people used to tell stories through which they imparted crucial knowledge to the young ones. But the oral tradition, in much the same way as the electronic media such as radio and television, are a passive and ephemeral form of conveying information and knowledge, because they rely on individual memory. As time goes on, the original stories are embellished, adapted and even distorted. In the end, very little of the original message remains or is forgotten altogether.
In order to store and preserve important information and knowledge, we need to document it in writing, so that future readers can benefit from the primary sources. It is the duty of every generation to document its experiences as much as possible, to provide posterity with the means by which it can piece together its history and identity.
Those of you, who have been involved in the processes of land restitution claims, have had a taste of how difficult it is to piece together a history of dispossession. Very often rightful claimants are short-changed by those who have the money and power because there is no reliable data on which conclusive evidence could be based, to prove the claimants' right to the land of their forefathers.
It is crucial for our education system to nurture reading and writing skills in our children from a very young age. Their mastery of all other subjects hinges on these particular skills. As a nation we would have achieved great success, if more of our children could aspire for careers in writing such as journalism, creative writing and other forms of documenting information. Our task in this regard would become so much easier if parents are involved, in order to provide the necessary guidance and stimuli. No teacher or parent could ever guess within which child, under his or her mentorship, lies a Wole Soyinka, Buchi Emecheta, Miriam Tladi, Ngugi wa Thi'ongo, Chinua Achebe, Eskia Mphahlele and many others. Our history shall never be authentic, and accurately capture our emotions and aspirations, until we write it ourselves.
As the Masifunde Sonke project progresses into its fourth year, it is becoming more apparent that we need to engage all sectors in the "appreciation of books" and "reading for pleasure" programmes. This is the only way in which we can effectively raise awareness about the importance of reading, and to promote and encourage reading and writing in all or people.
The Masifunde Sonke project values all the public and private initiatives in the promotion of reading, because it sees this as the most effective way of promoting good working relationships among organisations involved in reading promotion. The project has thus adopted a decentralised strategy in order to rally large-scale participation, and to give its initiatives greater meaning and depth.
In closing, allow me to convey our sincere appreciation for the continuing support that we are receiving from READ through the READATHON. Our gratitude also goes to Maskew Miller Longman for donating books to the participating schools, and to the People's Bank for sponsoring the prizes for the reading rap competitions.
I thank you.
Issued by the Deputy Ministry of Education
8 September 2003
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
