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New project to Pay Leaners For Good Grades and Abstinence

by Bontle on 01 Sep 2010   |   

A new project designed to reduce new HIV/AIDS infections among learners in KwaZulu-Natal will pay learners who abstain. The payment is part of a scientific trial starting next year -which 3864 grade 9 and 10 learners from 14 high schools in KwaZulu-Natal’s Vulindlela district are expected to take part in. The trial is trying to determine whether cash incentives can help reduce new HIV infections among pupils.

Half of those taking part in the project, called Reducing HIV in Adolescents, will form part of the control group and will not receive any money. Reducing HIV in Adolescents is a joint partnership between the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department and Miet Africa, a non-profit organisation and is set to cost over R52-million.

Pupils will receive R150 after their mid-year exam and another R150 at the end of the year if they achieved 50% or more in the overall exams.

They will also receive R200 a year if they provide a letter from a clinic stating that they were tested for HIV.

In addition, they will receive R400 for participating in an after school programme geared towards uplifting the community.

• Read the complete article at Timeslive

South African Book Development Council Launches National Book Week

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 25 Aug 2010   |   

The National Book Week has been developed to assist the South African Book Development Council (SABDC), in association with the Department of Arts and Culture, to encourage reading amongst South Africans and to find innovative ways to strengthen industry initiatives, develop skills and increase books sales, particularily by South African ands African authors. Read more here.

The South African Book Development Council, in association with the Department of Arts and Culture, proudly launches the inaugural National Book Week.

As part of a national effort to embrace the value of reading and the important role it plays in a nation’s development, the South African Book Development Council, in association with the Department of Arts and Culture, proudly launches the inaugural National Book Week, taking place from 6 – 13 September this year. National Book Week is dedicated to promoting reading and encouraging everyone to explore the magic of books.

Books support every aspect of a child’s development, but are also important for adults, especially because of our skewed development in South Africa.

Reading exposes people to a variety of life situations, enabling them to deal with different aspects of life. This in turn means that we are able to function more effectively in society, enabling us to make better decisions and participate actively and contribute in all aspects of life, e.g. in our economy, at work, in our family. It therefore also empowers us to be critical of life around us and change it for our improvement.

National Book Week will focus its activities this year at Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg and the programme will include Reading Tents for children, youth, the visually impaired and adults, and will provide a fun and appealing environment to encourage reading, as well as celebrate books as part of what we do in everyday life. National Book Week aims to celebrate the book and the love of reading, while showcasing South African and African writers, publishers, booksellers and related businesses.

Elitha van der Sandt, CEO of SABDC says “National Book Week is something new and different, and offers innovative ways to introduce South Africans to the magic of books. We all have a role to play in promoting reading and increasing access to books. There are different organisations and initiatives that already exist to promote and encourage reading, and National Book Week hopes to provide a platform to expose these organisations to a wider audience.”

Entrance to National Book Week programmes will be free, encouraging schools, family and the general public to attend. Industry stakeholders will be provided an opportunity to participate in exhibitions, seminars and training activities which will form part of the interesting programme designed to appeal to the public, as well as key players and investors in the publishing industry.

• Read the complete article at Artlink

Writers Write Hosts a Course on Writing for Children

by Bontle on 18 Aug 2010   |   

Writers Write is hosting the kids etc. course for all writers and aspiring writers. The course is run by Sam Moore, who has edited and written for children’s magazines. She has her own educational toy business, and is the mother of two small children

Do you like children? Do you read children’s books? Do you want to write books that children want to read?

If you’ve answered yes, we can show you how to plot a story, write it and prepare it for submission. This workshop will help any author of fiction, or non-fiction, picture or chapter books.

Course contents

1. What’s In? What’s Out?
2. Plot ideas
3. Cool enough Characters
4. Pages For Ages – story lengths, genres & language levels
5. Use Amanda Patterson’s ‘Once upon a time – The Story of a Story’ to work out your plot
6. Being there – moods, descriptions, lessons & laughter
7. Mix it up – dialogue for children
8. Begin. Pause. Play. Pause. End.
9. Rewrite. Edit. Publish.

When: 21 August (Cape Town)
Time: 09:00 – 15:00
Cost: R 2 000, 00 (Ex Vat)
RSVP: news@writerswrite.co.za
Venue: The Ambassador Hotel, 34 Victoria Road, Cape Town

• Visit their website

SABC Education Baba and Kids Indaba Comes to Soweto

by Bontle on 17 Aug 2010   |   

The SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba is making its debut appearance in Nasrec. Parents, teachers and children from Soweto and the southern suburbs of Johannesburg are invited to South Africa’s biggest baby and children’s expo. The show will take place from 27-29 August 2010.

Parents and grandparents will be treated to the wide and wonderful world of SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba which offer everything one could need, in terms of parenting, under one roof. Whether you are looking for funky maternity clothes, beautiful baby outfits, toys, books, accessories or something new and exciting to make your life easier, it can all be found under one roof. Simplifying your life is what this show aims to do! There really is something for everyone – Kids will be entertained and educated by the many wonderful stage shows including Takalani Sesame, granny can have a cup of tea while she keeps them company, mom can ooh and aah over the beautiful jewellery and teddies while dad checks out the latest in parenting gadgets.

• Read the complete article at Bix Community

The Challenges of Publishing for Children in Africa

by Bontle on 11 Aug 2010   |   

Trying to persuade parents to buy children’s books instead of toy guns and cars is just one of the challenges facing Africa’s publishers. Cape Town International Book Fair gave industry executives and publishers from around the continent a chance to learn from each other, share experiences and ideas for the future of children’s publishing on the continent.

Publishers said that they also face the challenge of not having a strong reading culture across Africa and being heavy reliant on skills-enhancing textbooks over novels for sales, a primarily urban reach, and small, local print runs. Glossy bookstores are rare outside major cities, and non-fiction accounts for 45% of sales. Most fiction titles are imported from abroad.

The sales model in Nigeria largely bypasses book stores; instead, mobile sellers approach offices, restaurants and police stations, where they sell 30% of the stock.

A quarter of sales are in book stands in non-traditional outlets like hairdressers, cafes, boutiques and spas.

As in Zimbabwe, political turmoil wiped out Uganda’s book world after the rise of former dictator Idi Amin in 1971 erased a post-independence boom, but steady growth has returned in the past two decades.

• Read the complete article at The Star

Leadership Conference Planned for Grade 11s to Share Ideas and Plan for 2011

by Bontle on 31 Jul 2010   |   

St Alban’s College is hosting a Leadership Conference for Grade 11 boys and girls from Independent Schools Association of South Africa schools. This Leadership Conference is aimed at boys and girls who would be serving as leaders (future prefects, servant leaders, portfolio holders, etc.) in 2011. St Alban’s is located in Pretoria, South Africa.

The aims of this Leadership Conference are to challenge, stimulate thinking, to encourage listening and sharing,
as well as reflection of young leaders, their ideas, skills and values. The conference includes stimulating speakers, a visit and talk at “Freedom Park”, and interactive workshops.

The full cost of the Leadership Conference is R550 per delegate. This includes all meals, teas, accommodation and Conference materials. The following costs are not included: flight costs and transport.

• Find out more at isasa

100 Creatives in Lesotho Come Together to Write Children's Books

by Bontle on 28 Jul 2010   |   

Illustrated and photo books were among the products when 100 artists, journalists, photographers, graphic designers, animation and music composers, NGOs, young people and education specialists from all over Lesotho came together to produce local media and communication material for children. The initiative is part of a UNICEF and Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training drive.

“Our products show the importance of living together and caring for each other despite our differences, whether it’s a father caring for his orphaned child, a grandmother taking care of a disabled child or a deaf mother loving and caring for her child as best as any other mother” said one of the participants.

The products include illustrated and photo books, posters, animations and TV and radio spots, focusing on promoting positive customs and demystifying the conventional image of children and caregivers with special needs. Particular emphasis was placed on addressing the most vulnerable children aged 0-6 years.

• Read the complete article

Celebrities Rally Behind Mandela Day Book Campaign

by Bontle on 15 Jul 2010   |   

Celebrities around the country have declared their support for this year’s Mandela Day and are rallying behind the call for quality learning and teaching by dedicating their time reading to children. NMI Executive Director Kimberley Porteus said that this year’s Mandela Day is dedicated to the vision of the MDG 2, calling for quality education for all children.

Poet, singer and author, Nomsa Mazwai and her sister, musician Thandiswa Mazwai will be writing a children’s book and will visit various schools during the month reading to learners. Basetsane Kumalo and Archbishop Thabo Mokgoba have also pledged their support to the cause, urging South Africans to spend the day reading to young people and to donate books to schools.

“The Mandela Day will serve the spirit of South Africa to invest in education the way we never have before. Children’s success in education is through the number of words they are exposed to in the first eight years,” Porteus said.

“We must have justice in education in our lifetime and it needs to happen now,” Mazwai said.

• Read the complete article All Africa

2010 Soccer World Cup Education Summit Statement From Pretoria

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 14 Jul 2010   |   

South Africa – 2010 Soccer World Cup Education Summit statement Pretoria, South Africa

Summit statement:

We, Heads of State and Government, and Eminent persons, gathered at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Education Summit on 11 July 2010 in Pretoria at the invitation of the Government of South Africa. We commend the initiative and efforts of the Government of South Africa to host this Summit during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We seize the opportunity of the Summit to reiterate the commitment made by the international community at the World Education Forum (Dakar, 2000) to ensure quality basic education for all children, young people and adults by 2015.

We reaffirm that education is a fundamental human right enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Everyone is entitled to free primary education. As global leaders, we have the responsibility to equip all children, youth and adults with the knowledge and skills needed to improve their lives and fully participate in society. Education is a precondition for sustainable and human development and a catalyst for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is a driver for increased employment opportunities and livelihoods, women’s empowerment, improved maternal and child health, reduced chances of HIV/AIDS infection and greater environmental awareness and responsibility. No country has ever climbed the human development ladder without steady investment in education.

With only five years left before the 2015 target date, we are at a crucial turning point for the achievement of the Education For All (EFA) goals. Over the past decade, unprecedented progress in access to primary education, particularly in favour of girls, was made. Globally, an additional 42 million children have entered primary education since 2000, notably because of increased political leadership and national resources for education. However, progress has been too slow and formidable challenges remain. Some 72 million children are still denied their right to education and 759 million adults lack basic literacy skills. The efforts of the international community to expand primary education opportunities have often been made at the expense of education quality, of youth and adult education and literacy, as well as of other education goals. Evidence shows that deep and persistent inequalities are hindering progress across countries and populations, based on diverse and combined forms of marginalization such as income, gender, location, language and disability

• Read the complete statement at Isria

UNISA Storytelling Festival and Conference Still Calling For Papers

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 08 Jul 2010   |   

2nd Announcement and call for papers

2nd UNISA Storytelling Festival and Conference on Reading Promotion and Storytelling for Children
6-8 October 2010
Organised by the Department of Information Science of the University of South Africa and the Children’s Literature Research Unit of the Department.

University of South Africa, Pretoria

We welcome:
1)Abstracts (of not more than 250 words) that address particular issues regarding reading promotion for children and storytelling to children. Theoretical papers as well as more practical presentations about specific projects are welcome.
2)Proposals for workshops on storytelling and reading promotion for children. Please indicate the cost involved.

3)Names of storytellers who can be approached to participate in the Storytelling Festival.

Due date for abstracts:
30 June 2010. Notification of acceptance will be made within one week.

The programme, information on accommodation, registration fee, as well as the registration form will be published at a later stage on the webpage: http://www.unisa.ac.za/dept/infsc

Mail abstracts and direct enquiries to:
Prof Thomas van der Walt, Department of Information Science, University of South Africa, PO Box 392, 0003 Pretoria, South Africa
Fax: +27 12 4293792
e-mail: vdwaltb@unisa.ac.za