By Siphesihle Mkhwanazi
Earlier this year, the Lebone Centre delivered 12 carefully selected children’s books to five local English medium schools.
These schools then assembled teams of six learners to participate in the Phendulani Literacy Quiz, hosted on 17 September as part of Literacy Month. Most of the books provided are penned by South African authors, offering learners stories and characters they could easily connect with. The quiz, which aims to be fun, engaging and educational, promotes literacy knowledge, comprehension and critical thinking while also motivating learners from under-resourced schools to read books.
So, after readers had eagerly immersed themselves in the books, Lebone Centre, collaborating with Kingswood College Junior School, hosted the quiz. The participating schools were Grahamstown Seventh Day Adventist School (SDA), Good Shepherd Primary, Ntaba Maria Primary, George Dickerson and St Mary’s Primary School.
Champion readers
It was a tightly contested competition, and the lead changed hands in each of the four rounds. But it was the SDA readers who rose to the top and claimed the title of this year’s champions. In the end, just a single point separated the top three teams.
The event proved to be a great success, giving learners the chance to compete for literary glory in a lively and joyful atmosphere.
SDA teacher Walter Mapfumo expressed his gratitude to quiz organisers. “The extent to which it has stimulated the love of reading in our learners is quite profound,” he said. “We also face the pandemic of learners failing to read for meaning.
Growing enthusiasm
“The books and the opportunity to participate in the quiz have created a culture of independent reading in the school, and we are grateful. The ever-growing enthusiasm for reading among our learners now has taken a life of its own,” Mapfumo said.
This was the second instalment of the Makhanda Phendulani Literacy Quiz, this year under the guidance and facilitation of Lebone Centre project manager, Cathy Gush. Additional support for gifts and refreshments came from the Diocesan School for Girls and Kingswood Junior School.
Gush said the long-term aim was to grow and strengthen the programme. She said that strong literacy development is crucial for academic success, but emphasised that reading should not stop with quizzes and prizes.
She encouraged participants to inspire their peers to read and expand their reach into the wider community, ultimately contributing to stronger educational development in the area.
