Views on library orientation at the Esikhawini College of Education.

Abstract

This study argues that one of the solutions to the problem of high matriculation failure rates in black schools is providing resources such as media centres and laboratories to make learning more realistic and interesting to pupils. However, unequal educational provision has meant that less money is allocated to black education in comparison with white, Indian and Coloured education. The study was initiated by the awareness of the lack of media centres in black schools and colleges of education. It focuses on the teaching of library orientation at Esikhawini College of Education, an institution that has features common to all KwaZulu colleges. The population consisted of a group of Secondary Teachers Diploma Second year (STD II) students who did not study library orientation as their ancillary subject. The study shows that most students at the college had not used media centres before coming to the college. It also shows that the time allocated to library orientation is too little; the course should be extended to two or even three years. As a result of these findings, the study recommends that media education be integrated into the curricula starting with the earliest levels of schooling, and that a national policy on the funding of media education be formulated.