VW drives reading project for pupils
Motor giant launches second Literacy Centre for Grade 3s
VOLKSWAGEN in Uitenhage is one step closer to achieving its goal of eradicating illiteracy in the Garden Town through the launch of its second Literacy Centre in KwaNobuhle on Monday.
Volkswagen Group South Africa’s (VWSA) commitment to ensuring that Grade 3 pupils in the Uitenhage area are functionally literate received another boost this week with the opening of a second Literacy Centre in Uitenhage.
The Literacy Centre was opened at the Mngcunube Primary School in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage.
VWSA chairman and managing director Thomas Schaefer said a holistic approach was required to tackle the issue of illiteracy and needed the support of the entire community for this to be eradicated.
“Early Childhood Development not only means focusing on the learners but also on the teachers and parents and caregivers of the children. Making sure that all three have the tools to learn, teach and guide is important to the success of this legacy project,” Schaefer said.
In 2015, together with the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, the Volkswagen Community Trust launched its Literacy Programme whereby Volkswagen made a commitment to ensure that all pupils in Uitenhage were functionally literate by the time they reached Grade 3.
Subsequently last year, the first literacy centre at Ntlemeza Primary School was established. Five schools were identified for this Literacy Legacy Project, including Ashton Gontshi, Mngcunube, Noninzi Luzipho, Ntlemeza and Vuba primary schools, all situated in KwaNobuhle.
“Leaving a legacy in the Uitenhage Community is very important for us as a company. We realise it is a huge undertaking but we have to start somewhere,” Schaefer said.
“If we can have functionally literate Grade 3’s moving into the senior phase of the primary schools in the Uitenhage area, we will be leaving a legacy which will continue to grow as those learners move into society as literate individuals.”
He added that VWSA spent at least 80% of its CSI budget on education and early childhood development.
Speaking about the opening of the literacy centre, Education MEC Mandla Makupula said: “Recent survey and studies show that our children at the primary school level are struggling to read and write.
“Now, this partnership will help us address that. We are proud of the men and women especially captains of industries in our motherland, who continue to contribute towards realising the vision of a quality public education for all.”
Mngcunube Primary School principal Monwabisi Pepeta said: “The addition of the literacy centre will help immensely not only through improving literacy but across all subjects. We are very grateful to VW for the investment made into our pupils.”