Reading and literacy

Recent events hosted by the Schools Development Unit had a central theme tying them together. At Making Reading Enjoyable in the Junior School Classes: Nurturing a culture of reading, three local teachers - including Koelsum Bibi Ghansar from Starling Road Primary School (in picture) - spoke of the innovative, fun and sometimes wacky ways they've tried to do just that.

Literally a day later, on International Literacy Day (better known as 8 September), the Mathematics and Science Education Project (MSEP) hosted its Reading Festival prize-giving for learners from three project schools - Thandokhulu, Sophumelela and Harry Gwala. With Deputy Minister of Transport Jeremy Cronin in the attentive audience, students had a chance to read aloud the poems and stories they'd penned as part of the project. (Asanda Ziwane, in picture, left, of Harry Gwala, took the poetry award.) Literacy was also a red-letter concern for Professor Brahm Fleisch, of the Division of Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Wits University, when he spoke at the SDU's belated anniversary event celebrations, his lecture titled Changing Schools for Good: What the future holds for teacher professional development in South Africa. Fleisch drew comparisons between the vastly different ways literacy is taught at former Department of Education and Training schools, at traditionally white schools, and at private schools.