Equal Education (EE), an organisation based in Cape Town and now led by Zackie Achmat of TAC fame, reports that their Campaign for School Libraries has grown exponentially over the course of the year and has yielded enormously positive results.
Their year-end report points out the following:
Equal Education (EE), an organisation based in Cape Town and now led by Zackie Achmat of TAC fame, reports that their Campaign for School Libraries has grown exponentially over the course of the year and has yielded enormously positive results.
Their year-end report points out the following:
• For the first time ever there is a government policy on school infrastructure (the National Policy for an Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Physical Teaching and Learning Environment) known as the NPEP.
• For the first time ever there will be legally binding National Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure. The Minister and Director General have, in writing, promised these to be in force by April 2011.
• For the first time ever there should be a policy on school libraries – the School Library Guidelines have been drafted and will hopefully be finalised by Jan 2011.
• For the first time ever the Department has committed itself to “a library in every school” in the long-term goals attached to its Action Plan 2014.
• For the first time ever there will be posts for school librarians. In a letter to EE on 17 August the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga assured us that the new post-provisioning model for educators and support staff “does make approval for librarian posts. No such provision existed before.”
Work has now begun on EE’s biggest event yet: the People’s Education Summit, set to open on Saturday 25 June 2011. The summit is the next step in building a national movement for quality and equal education. This means building people’s capacity for analysis and activism in education.
Learners, parents, teachers, community members, academics, representatives from government, unions, and other organisations will be present at the two day event to be held in Khayelitsha and Cape Town. For more information contact jon@equaleducation.org.za.
