The December holidays are a wonderful time of the year; a time for giving and spending time with family and friends.
This festive season, the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) encourages South Africans to give and share books as gifts, thus creating a culture of reading for pleasure.
According to the National Reading Survey carried out in 2016, 58% of South African households do not have a single leisure-reading book and similarly, there are only a few public libraries in low-income areas.
To address the reading challenges that the country faces, the NECT in partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) established the National Reading Coalition (NRC).
“If you celebrate Christmas, make it a little different this year by donating a book that we will share with the rural communities we support.
“Books teach, they create dreams and they entertain way beyond the season, what readers discover in books is carried with them for years to come.
“Your book has the power to significantly impact a young person’s world,” said Dr John Thurlow, Manager of the National Reading Coalition.
The NRC aims to improve coordination among various stakeholders to reduce inefficient overlaps and gaps in the numerous forms of support for reading, promote the adoption of approaches that have evidence of success, and increase the opportunities for economies of scale.
For ideas on book titles to give as gifts go to https://nrc.org.za/books/.