Durban — Three non-government organisations collaborated to handover workcharts and booklets to Natest Primary School in Phoenix, in an effort to address the national literacy crisis.
The NGOs Stellar Stars and Anchor of Hope donated alphabet and words, number, colour and shapes charts, while the Switchboard Group sponsored 200 booklets for the school.
Stellar Stars Project Managers Emily and Hannah Whitaker said that along with the Switchboard Group, Anthea Pampallis from Africa's Anchor of Hope collaborated on the donation.
The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) study assessed more than 400 000 pupils in 57 countries during the Covid-19 period. In South Africa, 12 426 Grade 4 pupils in 321 schools were assessed. It was revealed that 81% of children could not read for meaning by grade 4.
Emily and Hannah said, “The PIRLS report highlighting the literacy crisis in South Africa prompted us to focus on this project. Our mother, Sarah Whitaker (the designer behind all the artwork) and our granny, Sue Watkin, are both educators with many years' experience who are passionate about addressing this crisis.”
Emily and Hannah said that their project partners with businesses provide the high quality, uniquely South African resources which covers costs and enables them to issue these resources free to schools.
Emily and Hannah added that they were excited with the recent handover of the charts and workbooks at the school and they were assured that the children were enjoying them.
Pampallis thanked Emily and Hannah for their project’s contribution. She said, “The volunteers used the alphabet set with the children in the last session and they absolutely loved working in their booklets."
Natest Primary School acting Deputy Principal Rodney Naidoo said that in celebration of the school’s 60th birthday, this handover coincided with their vision to educate pupils from previously disadvantaged and also deal with English as a second language.
Naidoo also thanked the Africa's Anchor of Hope for their commitment to assist bi-weekly by providing resources to the pupils.
“They have opened up our library and this allows the pupils to borrow books. Some of the children come from previously disadvantaged areas, access to libraries is far and wide. Having a library at school also provides a safe haven from them,” Naidoo said.
Naidoo added that they also host individual and group sessions to assist other educators with knowing each pupil’s reading ability/reading level.
Naidoo emphasised that this was not deviating from the national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).
Naidoo said the school is looking forward to the rollout of resources.
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