The DBE’s Reading Directorate, in partnership with the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) and a national literacy collective of literacy organisations, convened a Co-Creation Workshop for the Development of a Literacy Promotion Toolkit in Benoni, Gauteng, from 3 to 5 March 2025.
The primary objective of the workshop was to collaboratively develop a comprehensive literacy toolkit by engaging key stakeholders and DBE directorates. This toolkit will serve as a strategic resource to enhance and guide literacy initiatives at the district level, providing a cohesive and inclusive framework for literacy promotion within homes, schools, and communities. The workshop also aimed to leverage existing strengths and resources, integrate evidence-based best practices, and co-create a resource that significantly expands the reach and impact of literacy efforts nationwide.
“This is an opportunity to engage, innovate and contribute meaningfully to a resource that will benefit learners, educators and communities alike. We urge participants to bring their experiences, challenges, and insights to the table to build a stronger, more impactful literacy ecosystem,” said Ms Kulula Manona, Chief Director of Foundations for Learning, during her opening address.
Throughout the workshop, the revised literacy strategy served as the guiding framework for the Literacy Promotion Toolkit, with particular emphasis on its fourth pillar: Community-based participatory engagement, which highlights the central role of African languages. Partners from the Literacy Promotion Collective, including Nal’ibali, Room to Read, and A Better Africa, delivered presentations and demonstrations of their programmes, contributing to the strengthening and refinement of the toolkit. These presentations were followed by in-depth reflections to identify gaps and tailor the programmes for inclusion in the toolkit.
On the final day, discussions centred on defining programme packages within commissions focused on home, school and community engagement, taking into account diversity, scalability, target audiences and available infrastructure. The participants comprising of both district and provincial officials in Curriculum, Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) and Library and Information Services, were divided into three commissions, each assigned a specific focus area to explore and present their findings. Commission One worked on developing practical literacy packages for schools, ensuring that effective strategies and resources were in place to support literacy education. Commission Two examined the impact of the home environment on literacy, aiming to foster a strong reading culture within families by encouraging parental involvement. Commission Three focused on community-led initiatives, exploring ways to enhance library development support and expand access to literacy resources at the grassroots level.
At the conclusion of the workshop, Ms Thulile Seleka, Technical Assistant, Reading Directorate, outlined the next steps in co-creating the Literacy Promotion Toolkit. She also provided insight into the DBE’s ongoing role and how literacy partners from all nine provinces can apply the knowledge gained from the workshop to advance literacy promotion in their respective regions.