On Friday, 14 May 2010 at 1:30 pm EE will celebrate the opening of a new school library at Thembelihle High School, Govan Mbeki Road, Town 2, Khayelitsha. Thembelihle High School was among the 13 % of the schools in SA that had library spaces but were not stocked. This library is part of the initiative of EE’s School Libraries Campaign which established the Bookery for collecting “good as new” books to help schools with library spaces but no books, to stock libraries in townships and rural areas. Through the hard work and commitment of Equal Education’s staff and volunteers, teachers, principals, learners, schools, and civil society, the call for a library and librarian in each and every school will be answered.
This new library is an example of initiatives that communities can take whilst waiting on government to develop a libraries policy and an implementation plan. EE is calling for a national policy that will provide a library in each and every school in South Africa. Research shows that the provision of school libraries is affordable and EE posits that with a political commitment from the Department of Education and Minister Angie Motshekga, every child in South Africa can have access to a fully functional school library.
Notably, Western Cape MEC for Basic Education Donald Grant, Marius Fransman (Chairperson of the Portfolio Commitee on Higher Education), Dr. Jennifer Joshua (Education Specialist from the Department of Education) and Yunus Karrim ( Deputy Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs) are expected to be in attendance
For a Map of Thembelihle High School click here