De Vries, Leon Chapman
English: This study, based on the critical theory approach, examines the provisioning of reading and information resources to learners through the availability of school library services since the advent of South Africa's democratic dispensation in 1994. Of particular concern is government's planning on national and provincial level for the provisioning of school library services and the documents that were compiled in this regard. The provisioning of school library services, planning for it and reflecting on it, however, cannot take place without recognising international trends and developments. Therefore the study started by examining the worldwide information and communication revolution and its effect on the community and the economy, as well as its effect on access to reading and information resources and education. The underlying question is what relevance school libraries still have in a world driven by information and communication technology. It seems that people in the education and the library and information sphere are still convinced that a well functioning library could contribute to education that prepares learners for life. School libraries are especially important for the support of resource-based learning. Research reports also indicate improved academic results where teaching and learning are supported by good school library practice. As part of 'the background study an examination was done of the provisioning of school library services in two developed countries, namely the United States of America and Australia, and two developing countries, namely Botswana and Namibia. The latter two are especially important because South Africa is also largely a developing country. Both use different kinds of classroom collections to give learners access to reading and information resources. The USA and especially Australia, in spite of their status as developed countries, also use combined school and public libraries (often referred to as school community libraries) where it offers a practical solution. It is especially in rural, sparsely populated areas, where it can be found. The focus then moves to the South African school library situation that is examined within a changing and developing dispensation. The central framework within which education provisioning takes place, is also examined. In this regard the Constitution, policy and legislation, inter alia, were discussed. It is clear that, from South Africa's developing context, the provisioning of access to school library services could make a contribution as many learners, because of their socio-economic circumstances, do not have easy access to reading and information resources. Furthermore it is, because of the methodology of South Africa's outcomes-based curriculum, highly desirable that teachers and learners should have access to various information resources. However statistics indicate very little progress in the availability of school libraries since 1994. Constitutionally and in terms of legislation the state is obliged to provide education of an acceptable quality to all the school learners of the country. Notwithstanding school library services did not figure strongly in the government's broad education framework, its education policy, legislation, funding and curriculum in the decade after 1994. However lately, especially since 2006, the references of the minister of education to the necessity of school libraries are increasing. It is especially in terms of reading support and the improvement of reading skills that school libraries are mentioned. In the light of the huge need of school libraries this study further examined the planning for school library provisioning that was done after the 1994 election by the. provincial governments and the national government. It examined the available documentation with regard to aspects such as school library accommodation, staff, library collections, provisioning and governing structures, policy, funding, legislation, co-operation and optimal utilisation of resources. Eventually a number of recommendations were made that could improve the school library situation and learners' access to reading and information resources. The most important of these is, in accordance with the constitutional principle of cooperative governance, the acceptance of an integrated approach to the provisioning of school library services that includes support from public libraries and the provincial library services.
Afrikaans: Hierdie proefskrif, gebaseer op die "kritiese teorie"-benadering, ondersoek die voorsiening van lees- en inligtingsbronne aan leerders' deur die beskikbaarstelling van skoolbiblioteekdienste sedert die aanbreek van Suid-Afrika se demokratiese grondwetlike bedeling in 1994. Veral van belang is die wyse waarop daar na die 1994-verkiesing op provinsiale en nasionale regeringsvlak vir die voorsiening van skoolbiblioteekdienste beplan is en die dokumente wat in hierdie verband opgestel is. Die voorsiening van skoolbiblioteekdienste, die beplanning daarvoor en besinning daaroor kan egter nie geskied sonder om kennis te neem van internasionale tendense en verwikkelinge nie. Daarom is die wêreldwye inligtings- en kommunikasierewolusie wat 'n groot invloed het op die samelewing, ekonomie, onderwys en toegang tot lees- en inligtingsbronne, ten aanvang ondersoek. Die onderliggende vraag is watter relevansie skoolbiblioteke nog het in 'n wêreld wat deur inligtings- en kommunikasietegnologie gedryf word. Dit blyk dat persone in die onderwys- en biblioteek- en inligtingsfeer die mening huldig dat 'n goed funksionerende skoolbiblioteek tot lewensvoorbereidende onderrig kan bydra. Skoolbiblioteke is veral belangrik vir die ondersteuning van bronnegebaseerde leer. Navorsingsverslae dui ook op verbeterde akademiese prestasie waar onderrig en leer deur goeie skoolbiblioteekpraktyk ondersteun word. As deel van die agtergrondstudie is die voorstemrig van skoolbiblioteekdienste in twee ontwikkelde state, naamlik die Verenigde State van Amerika en Australië, en twee ontwikkelende state, naamlik Botswana en Namibië, ondersoek. Laasgenoemde twee is veral van belang omdat Suid-Afrika ook in 'n groot mate 'n ontwikkelende staat is. Beide maak onder meer ook van verskillende soorte klaskamerversamelings gebruik om leerders toegang tot lees- en inligtingsmateriaal te gee. Die VSA en veral Australië maak ten spyte van hul ontwikkelde status ook van gekombineerde skool- en openbare biblioteke (ook skoolgemeenskapsbiblioteke genoem) gebruik waar dit 'n praktiese oplossing bied. Dit is veral in landelike, dun bevolkte gebiede waar dit aangetref word. Die fokus verskuif dan na die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolbiblioteeksituasie wat binne 'n veranderende en ontwikkelende bestel ondersoek word. Ook word die sentrale raamwerk waarbinne onderwysvoorsiening geskied, ondersoek. In dié verband kom onder andere die Grondwet, beleid en wetgewing ter sprake. Dit is duidelik dat die voorsiening van toegang tot skoolbiblioteekdienste vanuit 'n Suid-Afrikaanse ontwikkelende konteks 'n bydrae kan lewer omdat baie leerders vanweë hul sosio-ekonomiese agtergrond nie geredelik toegang tot lees- en inligtingsbronne het nie. Dit is verder vanweë die metodologie van Suid-Afrika se uitkomsgebaseerde kurrikulum hoogs wenslik dat onderwysers en leerders toegang tot 'n verskeidenheid inligtingsbronne behoort te hê. Statistiek dui egter daarop dat daar weinig verbetering was in die beskikbaarheid van skoolbiblioteke sedert 1994. Grondwetlik en wetlik is die staat verplig om onderwys van 'n aanvaarbare gehalte aan al die skoolleerders van die land te voorsien. Ten spyte daarvan het skoolbiblioteekdienste nie sterk in die regering se breë onderwysraarnwerk, -beleid, -wetgewing, -befondsing en die kurrikulum in die dekade na 1994 gefigureer nie. In die jongste jare, veral sedert 2006, word daar egter al meer deur die minister van onderwys na die noodsaaklikheid van skoolbiblioteke verwys. Dit is veral in terme van leesondersteuning en die verbetering van leesvaardighede dat skoolbiblioteke ter sprake kom. In die lig van die groot behoefte aan skoolbiblioteke het hierdie studie verder die beplanning vir skoolbiblioteekvoorsiening wat na die 1994-verkiesing deur die provinsiale regerings en die nasionale regering gedoen is, onder die loep geneem. Dit het die beskikbare dokumente wat lig op die saak kon werp, ondersoek ten opsigte van aspekte soos skoolbiblioteekakkommodasie en -personeel, biblioteekversamelings, voorsiening- en beheerstrukture, beleid, befondsing, wetgewing, samewerking en optimale benutting van hulpbronne. Uiteindelik word 'n aantal aanbevelings ten opsigte van skoolbiblioteekvoorsiening en leerders se toegang tot lees- en inligtingsbronne gedoen wat tot die verbetering van die situasie kan bydra. Die belangrikste hiervan is die aanvaarding van 'n geïntegreerde benadering tot die voorsiening van skoolbiblioteekdienste waarin openbare biblioteke en die provinsiale biblioteekdienste 'n ondersteunende funksie vervul.