Evaluation of phase 2 of LPYL
Appendix C

Group discussions at the Closing Conference in Johannesburg 1 June 2002.

This appendix is started with a list of the participants including their professional positions and home provinces.

The participants were gathered to discussions on professional as well as provincial bases. All in all dialogues took place in four different groupings. The questions and answers are given group by group. The compilation is a copy of the writings done at the full meeting.

Participants:

Mr Viceroy Juju
Teacher librarian
Kwa Ntshunque Junior Secondary School

Mr Sibongile Nzimande
Director: ELITS
Department of Education and Culture
ELITS Directorate

Ms Nomawethu Jonas
Education Library & Information Service (ELIS)
Department of Education Resource & Information Centre

Mrs Zukie Jafta
Media advisor
Department of Education
Eastern Cape

Ms Rose Kabi
Teacher Librarian
Bondibeng ba Thuto School

Ms Zandile Gxwathi
Department of Education
Free State

Mr Sarie Baadjies
Public Librarian
Tweespruit Public Library
Free State

SSS Kau
Media Learning Facilitator
Free State

Ms Busi Dlamini
Head: Education & Resources Unit
Gauteng Library & Information Services

Ms Geraldine (Whisky) Monama
Librarian
Orlando East Public Library

Ms Mphumi Kamango
Teacher librarian
A B Xuma Primary School

Mrs June Matlala
City of Tshwane Metro-Inter Relations Serviecs

Mr Thokoza Sikhosana
School Library Advisor
Kwa Zulu Natal Eudcation Library Services

Ms Pat Magwaza
Regional Head: ELITS
Department of Education

Mrs Mathandi Mokumo
Teacher Librarian
Mehlwana High School

Mrs Audrey Maslalela
Teacher Librarian
Mayibuye High School

Mrs Maureen Bopapa
Department of Education

Ms Eliza Mosiane
Teacher Librarian
E P Lekhela Primary School
North West Province

Mrs Nomwuko Nomnga
Head: Library & Information Services
Department Scoial Services, Arts, Culture & Sport
North West Province

Mrs Susan Masenge
Teacher Librarian
Pabellelo High School
Northern Cape Province

Mr Gustav Mahapa
Department of Education
Northern Province

Mr Makhasa Mathebula
Teacher Librarian

Makhuva Information Centre
Northern Province

Ms Motlalepula Teffo
Provincial School Library Services
Department of Education
Limpopo (Northern Province)

Ms Rose Damon
School Library Advisor
Western Cape Province

Ms Wilma Wardale
Teacher librarian
Percy Mdala High School
Western Cape

Mrs Lyne Metcalfe
EDULIS
Western Cape Education Department

Mr Mandla Maseko
Representative
National Department of Education
Pretoria

Mr Sandile Mbokazi
Researcher
EPU Natal

Ms Jenni Karlsson
EPU Natal

Ms Shannon Moffett
EPU Natal

Mrs Busi Ndawo
Education Specialist- Curriculum
Library & Information Services
Nelspruit

Ms Genevieve Hart
LIASA School Library Group
University of Western Cape

Ms Helen Nordenson
SIDA
Stockholm

Bodil Hildemann
BiS
Stockholm

Ms Lena Lundgren
BiS
Sweden

Mr Lennart Wettmark
BiS
Sweden

Ms Birgitta Alm
BiS
Sweden

:Questions for teacher-librarians

1. What changes have occurred in your school library and other school libraries in your area as a result of your involvement in the project?
2. What other areas/aspects of library practice do you think the project could have concentrated on (besides what it set out to achieve)?

Answers

1. Changes:

• New school libraries were formed
• Capacity building of teacher librarians
• Integration of library activities in teaching and learning
• It opened up the world to learners & educators
• It promoted independent life long learners
• Increased resources
• Improves relationships between stakeholders
• Networking/Workshops/Sharing ideas/Resources with other schools
• Partnership (fundraising)
• Awareness of Literary Programmes accelerated

2. Outstanding/neglected aspects:

• Mother tongue material developed
• Worked on teacher librarians to have more time in the library
• Sharing ideas on international funders

 

 

:

1. What improvements/changes have you noticed in your region or parts of your region as a result of the impact of the project?
2. How do you propose to implement gains/successes of the project to reach more schools in your region?

1. Improvement/changes

• More teachers and children now use the library effectively
• Clustering of neighbouring school to borrow books from the project school
• More schools are becoming interested in having a library even when they have few resources
• Inclusion of library hour in timetable
• Library used for curriculum integration
• Awareness and status of the school library has increased
• The need to have resource material has been realised
• Teacher librarians are motivated by the regular visits from Media Advisors
• The moral of Media Advisors is boosted and their approach is more practical and effective

2. Proposes to implement gain/successes

• Working with the committee not one person
• Include the principal in training the structure
• Training workshops and follow up to go together
• Train other community librarians – they will pass the skill by training their local teacher librarian

 

Questions for provincial heads

If the project were to be extended, what aspects of library practice would you recommend it concentrate on?

• Signing of agreements: to tighten up the loop holes that may come up (GOVT+GOVT) first before it becomes a departmental issue thing
• Linking school library into the Curriculum
• Linking reading also with school library
• The issue of information skills cannot be acquired if there is no link between the use of Library based resources into classroom practice
• Prioritise: Lobbying & Advocacy – importance of library based resources at senior management level, e.g. Policy Making (How) – jointly as SCHELIS
• There must be advocating about the using of resources
• The link between the reading, the ability to read and the use of library materials

 

1. What are the successes of the project in your province? Give concrete examples.
2. What was not achieved by the project in your province? Why?
3. Can the problem(s) be attributed to the project/school/province/system as a whole?
4. Can the success of the project be adapted/mainstreamed into the school programme? How?
5. What were the weaknesses of the LPYL project?
6. How do you think they could have been prevented?
7. Do you think the project succeeded in changing perceptions in your province about the role of school libraries? Why?
8. Are there any plans of ensuring that the project continues in your province?

EASTERN CAPE

1. Succsses?

• Project had good spin-offs, like opportunity of meeting and sharing ideas with other provinces
• Birth of SCHELIS
• Prompted school librarians to establish a living library e.g. educators utilise library resources for teaching & learning. Also neighbouring schools are benefiting
• Encouraged direct contact sessions with schools; established school library committees, supplied library material to cluster schools formed by our project school

2. Not achieved?

• Phase one of the project opted for a cluster model so (but?) we did not resource the cluster fully
• Workshops in schools not done in all affected schools

3. Problems because of?

• System

4. The successes be adapted into the school programme?

• Yes. Educators.

5. Weaknesses of LPYL?

• Advocacy &lobbying. Failed to market the project fully. Hindered success. High profiled from the outset. Publicity not done well enough. Could have been marketed more.

6. Weaknesses prevented how?

• Publicised at a higher national level

7. Changed perceptions of the role of school libraries?

• Yes, in a way, but not as a result of the project but as a result of constant discussions, understanding of concept, but not perceptions

• Rolling out a project of Resource centres

FREE STATE

1. What are the successes of the project in your province? Give concrete examples.

Securing donations from:
Biblionef SA x 2Read Trust – Mrs Weeks

A) R 40 000 donated by Robert Niven Trust
B) R 50 000 Std Bank
C) R 150 from two individuals
D) The money donated to build a library

Library in the principals office
Books processed
Accessioned
Library Policy/Developed a Action Plan
Integration of library into the classroom
Workshops conducted

• Learners cannot access the library as expected…
• The point above also impacted on the community
• The library is also far from the community
• Alphabetical Centre is not yet established thus impacts negatively on the use of the library, the collection of cultural artefacts is not successful yet

Delays by DoE
Budget constraints

Yes, through integration of library into the curriculum. Timetable.

No

Yes, in the neighbourhood e.g. one neighbouring School-Assumption

Yes, there are plans to

• Donations
• Support from the departmental officials through visits and workshops. Submission en-route(?) to help the school in building the library
• One of the strategic objectives of the Departmental officials to sustain libraries in schools
• Land donation from the farmer

 

GAUTENG

A.B. Xuma has influenced other schools to start Libraries and formulate School Library Policy e.g. 15 Primary School and 2 Secondary School

• Regular workshops
• Advisory service
• Involvement of the community librarian

The involvement of the District Library advisor to provide support

• The advisor resigned and post was not filled
• To extend the Library hours because of safety

Province
Society/school

4. Successes adapted into the school programme?

Yes, the school has integrated the successes of the Project into the curriculum

• Hands on training organised in the community library
• Reading and performance – stories
• Encouraging learners to write – poem

Province has confidence in the school – story telling

5. Weaknesses?

• One weakness was the change of Project Manager in phase one and two
• In phase two: communications breakdown; interpersonal skills

6. Weaknesses prevented how?

By having the same person for phase 1 & 2

• It has brought schools to work together
• Other community libraries have adopted the same practice of working together with their neighbouring schools
• Plans for ensuring?
• The District is planning to provide a computer and a Library system
• The school to provide a computer from the computer room to the Library
• Gauteng on line to provide computers internet links and email addresses to all learners

 

KWA ZULU NATAL

• Promoted Awareness – participants
• 13 schools benefited through a series of workshops
• Strategies formulated
• New status for School libraries.
• Integrating School + curriculum
• Budgeting Skills
• Grant/Training

• Environmental Dynamics
• Tensions
• Commercial-Breakdown
• Problems because of?
• School
• SGB, SMT, failing to resolve

• YES! Process properly documented
• The successes enumerated in 1. can be adopted

Failure to rope in and get buy(?) from DEPT

7. Changed perceptions about the role of school libraries?

Where lobbying/advocacy/networking took place

• Project plan draws from National Policy Framework
• All provincial policy document (?) draws from N.P:F: Draft
• There is no deviation

 

NORTH-WEST

1.Succeses?

• Refinement of Provincial School library policy and development of school library. Policy, development and action plan.
• Project grant led to increased resources and development of financial management skills:- library committee
• Participation in the project led to increased school library budget allocation from funds
• Partnerships: Public libraries - School libraries
• Networking: neighbouring schools
• Library Patron: key community leader who assist with fundraising activities for the library.
• Reports – Quarterly Reports improved report writing skills
• Stakeholders' participation was improved due to the school's involvement in the project
• Not achieved
• Degree of support from Education Department not yet sufficient due to lack of staff and transport.
• Cluster model implementation as in the Provincial Policy: No time, staff and funds.
• Sharing the vision and not making follow-ups with other schools: due to inconvenience and lack of staff

Problems are attributed to the "whole System"

3. Successes be adopted into the school programme?

YES

• Weak involvement of the National Department in the 2^nd Phase.
• Channels of communication within the province and liasing with the project office
• Weaknesses prevented how?
• Lobby Departmental support and commitment

Yes, because school libraries are more focused and goal directed.

Yes: there is a development plan that outlines sustainability of the project.

NORTHERN CAPE

1. Successes?

• The Grant: Books, maps, games, tape recorder
• More user friendly: tables in circles; little displays
• A Library policy has been developed
• The Library committee woke up
• Empowerment – new tasks – trust from the principal

• No provincial library structure exists despite efforts from other people
• No library advisor

= 2

Perhaps adapted through workshops with SGB:s & SMT:s & teachers

• How to keep contact without the internet
• Lack of Northern Capes department's involvement in Project

(No answer)

YES! It did. More frequently visited by learners and teachers.

It's difficult!! Because I'm on my own.

LIMPOPO PROVINCE

1. Successes?

• Development of the infrastructure from garage – Multipurpose Centre
• Establishment of School libraries approx. 10 existing school libraries
• Community Involvement in the project (SGB) & Tribal Office
• Attracted Sponsors: Japanese Foundation/Embassy
• Partnership: (Staff development, Resources etc); Phalaborwa Foundation
• Provincial School library co-ordination

• Lack of financial support from the provincial DoE & DACST etc
• Staffing – (Municipality)

• NO- Project
• NO-Schools
• YES- Province & System as a whole

• YES – Current the project is extended beyond the project centre, i.e. others schools surrounding areas participate in the project
• Booklets/Training materials
• Empowerment and Capacity building e.g. writing of the business plan, library policy and financial management
• Inter-communication – (opened up) : Provincial levels and Regional level

• Poor communication between the Reference Group and Schools
• Transposing (Project Manager)
• Limitations of participants (number of school in the regions)
• Continuity (staff leaving for greener pastures)

Opposite of the above answers in item 5. But more importantly good planning from the national & provincial in providing adequate and sufficient resources (financial; human)

YES

• The provincial has now appointed a provincial co-ordinator
• More participation (Education and learners)

YES
Provincial co-ordinator will sustain the life-span of the project – through

• Staff development
• Funding

 

MPUMALANGA

1. Successes?

• Links and communication channels:
• Capacity building
• Changing of attitudes i.e. stakeholders

The project did not manage to reach all the schools in the province

3. Problems because of?

System as a whole, i.e., no library advisor

4. System adapted?

Yes, the library is integrated (in the whole system)

Sweden tour 2001, the time was to short for acquiring more knowledge

More time

Yes, the circuit and district managers support and understand

• Workshop are conducted
• Provincial office added more budgets for school libraries e.g. Mobile library and structure has the library advisors (?)

Yes, the library advisors would be brought on board and monitor the smooth running of library

WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE

• Centralised library established/committee/policy/budget/plans/stock increase/budget/photocopier
• Increased use by learners & teachers
• Library classes grade 8 & 9
• Outreach, networking, LIASA awareness
• Professional capacitation – librarian
• Other models e.g. Mobile library, joint use library

Lack of time for librarian caused for slower progress, too little committee involvement, little educator use of library

• Historical disadvantages
• Province had no policy in place to develop Libraries in schools

YES. Librarian. Period now in timetable workshop for teacher status of library & school improved

• Gap between Phase 1 & 2
• Less visits by media advisor

Better planning & monitoring

Contributing to ongoing advocacy & awareness

Initiatives planned amongst provincial roll players

To LPYL-start