Northpine Primary School stood out among over 7 000 schools and non-profit organisations (NPOs) as one of the select schools chosen to receive a mobile trolley library from Oxford University Press South Africa (Oupsa) and AVBOB as part of their annual AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign.
The trolley, valued at R65 000, is stocked with 500 language books aligned with the CAPS curriculum. Five hundred beneficiaries were selected to each receive a trolley library.
The AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign invited the public to nominate primary schools or educational NPOs they felt deserved to win a trolley library. After nominations were finalised, a selection process identified the beneficiaries to which these libraries would be delivered.
“The library trolley has had a significant impact on our school,” says Samantha Petersen, a teacher and librarian at Northpine Primary School. “Since receiving the library, our learners’ enthusiasm for reading has soared. The accessibility to a diverse range of books has helped to enhance their literacy skills, spark their imaginations and support their love for learning. The mobile library has become an invaluable resource in our journey to nurture avid readers and lifelong learners.”
“We’re so proud to be part of an initiative that prioritises the distribution of high-quality, age-appropriate books to deserving schools,” says Karen Simpson, managing director of Oxford University Press South Africa.
strengthen education
Carl van der Riet, CEO of AVBOB, highlighted that such partnerships are important to help strengthen education efforts in South Africa. “Partnerships like these make a difference in society, helping children, schools and educators.”
The campaign aims to address South Africa’s literacy crisis.
Last year it was announced that South Africa ranked last out of the 57 countries in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study in 2021. The study tested the reading ability of 400 000 students globally and showed that 81% of South African children could not read for comprehension in any of the country’s 11 official written languages.
The 500 trolley libraries donated this year are substantially more than the 260 trolley libraries donated in 2023, and the 180 trolleys donated in 2022. In total, 250 000 books, surpassing last year’s 130 000 and 2022’s 77 400 books, will be donated. The total investment value for the AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign amounts to R32,5 million.
“Our mission at Oupsa is to transform lives through learning,” adds Simpson. “We believe that partnerships with like-minded organisations such as AVBOB are essential in realising our vision to positively impact the lives of millions of learners anytime, anywhere. The collaboration has strengthened over the last three years, and we are exceptionally proud of our involvement in the 2024 Road to Literacy campaign which supports so many schools where access to the right literacy resources can make the biggest difference to learning outcomes.”
For more information about the campaign, visit Oupsa’s Resource Hub.
