Pupils from De Montfort Catholic School in Louis Trichardt celebrated World Book Day last Friday by spending their afternoon reading books.
World Book Day was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It is celebrated in over 100 different countries.
Mr John Tamakloe, principal of the school, said that the school encouraged and promoted reading among the pupils to improve their language skills and comprehension. "To be successful you need to read, which is very important in our lives. It is where knowledge is gained." He encourages the pupils to read every day, as reading will reduce the illiteracy rate.
According to Tamakloe, the school saw a drop in their level of performance last year. While some subjects such as mathematics and science excelled, English remains a subject that needs further improvement.
"I think it is very important for the pupils in our schools to pick up the reading habit. That is why we organised this World Book Day observance to make sure the students improve their reading," said Ms Abigail Dangiso. "One of the common weaknesses that we have identified is students' language. This includes their understanding of instructions and vocabulary and their lack of reading," she added.
Mr Paul Dzikiti, another teacher, said that the departments in the school had adopted a cross-curricular strategy where teachers from different subjects discussed the strengths and weaknesses of a class and worked together to improve students' performance. "Different teachers have different strategies. For example, an English teacher could suggest more vocabulary to be used during science and maths classes," he added. "One way or another, a book is a friend and it will help develop you as a person," added Dzikiti.
He also said that next year's event will be different. They will introduce computers and magazines for pupils to read.