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With a need to boost literacy at Parkwood Primary, a school without a designated library, non-profit organisation (NPO) Rescue A Young Life (RAYL) has stepped in to create a student hub.
In an interview with People’s Post last week, Vaughn Adriaanse, acting principal at the school, said there was a great need for books and a library.
“The school has been here for the longest time, since 1961, and currently, in my opinion, it needs a make-over to accommodate the growth of the school and the community.”
With a large number of learners enrolled at the school, the staff room has closed down for additional accommodation.
“The staff room has been taken away and modified into a classroom, so we don’t have a staff room and, similarly, we also don’t have a library.”
Currently, the school has 710 learners from Grade R to Grade 7, with a ratio of 40 learners per class.
“The school is also changing in terms of teaching and learning.
“It was primarily Afrikaans and now it’s almost 50% English and 50% Afrikaans, but eventually it’s going to be an English-only school,” said Adriaanse.
Commenting on the school’s literacy project, Adriaanse said they hope to equip more learners with books.
“The NPO has come in to assist with life skills and interventions. If we had a venue then we could go around equipping more of our children with books to read.”
He added that while the school had no library, each classroom had a library corner, which was not ideal.
“There has never been a library at this school. The nearest library is in Grassy Park. However, we want every child in every class in South Africa or Cape Town to be able to read.”
According to Adriaanse, a library at the school is much needed.
“We need a working library where children can source books on different subjects and do research for projects.”
Bronwyn Newman, who founded the NPO in 2016 after the tragic death of her teenage son, said she hoped to create a student hub to assist learners at the school.
“The acronym Rayl is my son’s name . . . I lost him to suicide in 2013,” she explained.
“After three years of really struggling to get back into life, I awakened spiritually to a greater purpose.”
Starting with awareness talks on depression, anxiety and suicide awareness at high schools and universities she realised that many of the schools had counsellors, therapists and social workers on site.
“Covid hit and after that, a year passed, and I was going to close down the NPO and deregister, but then decided to carry on with the process,” she said.
Meanwhile, while driving past Parkwood Primary earlier this year, Newman said she was drawn to the school.
“I asked my husband to stop because I think I was guided (to the school) and knew that was where I needed to be,” she said. “This is where my heart is and these are wonderful kids.”
Working with Grade 7 learners at the school since February, she explained that there was a real need for a library and arts and crafts.
“The project I want to launch at the school, which I feel is a real need, is to have a student hub for the (learners) where they can read, do arts and crafts as well as music,” she said.
“To have a section where they can paint and express themselves.”
Remembering her son and his zest for life, Newman said he loved life.
“My son was 14. He was an academic student and won a scholarship to the International School of Cape Town. He played basketball and baseball and was on the youth committee.
“His death really impacted us on a level where we had to open our eyes on what is happening out there with our youth.”
Newman said she has since completed a cognitive behavioural therapy course to assist children struggling with “certain things” in life.
“They need a space where they will feel safe constantly and have support. My project is so huge that I have been applying for funding everywhere because just to get a container or classroom is phenomenally expensive.”
