School library development vs policy provision: divergence or convergence?
Mojapelo, Samuel, Maredi; Dube, Luyanda
policy and legal framework for school libraries is a guiding framework for the provision,
development and management of school libraries. Similarly, it is a lever that standardises
school library development, management and practice. Although the existence of a policy
does not guarantee the development of efficient and functional school libraries, its inherent
value cannot be overemphasised. It is widely documented that in South Africa, only 7.2
per cent of public schools have functional school libraries, which are crucial to enrich
the quality of teaching and learning and support learners and teachers. The aim of this
study was, firstly, to analyse the legal and policy provision for school libraries in South
Africa; and secondly, to examine the state of school libraries in Limpopo province, South
Africa. The study further sought to establish whether there is divergence or convergence
between policy provision and the status of school libraries in Limpopo. The study adopted
a quantitative research paradigm and triangulated utilising questionnaires and document
analysis as instruments to collect data. The study established that there is a regime of
policies related to school libraries, most of which are still in draft form. Furthermore, the
study confirmed that provision of policy does not necessarily translate into an efficient
school library system. The distinct divergence means that there is no correlation between
policy provision and practice. The study recommends that the existing school library
policies should be streamlined, adopted and implemented to scale up the development of
efficient and functional school libraries in Limpopo.
↧