Acorns to Oaks school celebrates World Read Aloud Day
Literacy organisations joined the Department of Education to promote a stronger reading culture during World Read Aloud Day on February 25.
The Department of Education (DoE) hosted a World Read Aloud Day commemoration at Acorns to Oaks Secondary School in the Bohlabela District’s Green Valley Circuit on February 25.
The occasion was held in collaboration with Nal’ibali, Room to Read, and the National Education Collaboration Trust, reflecting a united commitment to advancing literacy and building a nation of readers.
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Book publishers including Shuter & Shooter and Maskew Miller Learning attended the occasion as well.
The keynote address was delivered on behalf of the MEC for education, Lindi Masina, by the chief director for general education and training, Elvis Siwela.
“Reading is the foundation upon which all learning is built and remains one of the most powerful tools for social and economic transformation. By promoting a culture of reading, we empower learners not only to excel academically but also to participate meaningfully in society,” Siwela said.
He reaffirmed the department’s commitment to literacy development: “Through the Directorate of School Libraries and Information Services, we continue to strengthen school library provisioning, promote structured reading programmes, and entrench a culture of reading across our districts. We are deliberate in ensuring that reading is not confined to the foundation phase, but becomes a sustained practice throughout a learner’s educational journey.”
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He said the event served as a renewed commitment by educators to read to learners and with learners; a commitment by parents to create meaningful reading moments at home; and a commitment by learners themselves to embrace books as lifelong companions on their path to
success.
World Read Aloud Day stands as a reminder that when we read together, we grow together. Through collective action and shared responsibility, we can turn the simple act of reading aloud and with meaning into a vehicle for educational development.
