Do you speak Maths? Winners of school library competition announced

16 March 2026 – Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape

This morning I visited Watsonia Primary School in Kraaifontein to celebrate the start of South African Library Week and highlight the importance of building a strong foundation of reading during a child’s school years. 

We also announced the winners of our 2025 School Library Competition held at the end of last year, with 10 schools each winning R35 000 for school library resources.

The competition, which celebrates International School Library Month in October, asked learners to draw a picture or write a poem for the theme: “Do you speak Maths?”

Learners often struggle with word problems in Maths assessments, so we used the opportunity to highlight the relationship between Mathematics and Language, and their vital role in supporting learning across all subjects. 

The competition was run with the support of our department’s Education Library and Information Services (EDULIS), and we are delighted by the creativity of the entries we received.

2025 School Library Competition winners

Note: Grade listed is for 2025

Foundation Phase poster/drawing:

• Seth Buckton (Grade 1) – West End Primary School, Mitchell’s Plain
• Daniel Claasen (Grade 1) – Watsonia Primary School, Kraaifontein
• Sivuyile Jase (Grade 2)  – Dalubuhle Primary School, Franschhoek

Primary school poetry:

• Imange Komna (Grade 7) – Phakamisani Primary School, Kwanokuthula
• Kara Dreyer (Grade 5) – Durbanville Primary School, Durbanville
• Ahlumile Petu (Grade 7) – Moshesh Primary School, Langa

High school poetry:

• Calvino Snyman (Grade 9) – Ashbury Primary School, Montagu
• Aliswa Dolfi (Grade 8) – Makupula Secondary School, Stellenbosch
• Siqhamo Malashe (Grade 10) – Centre of Science and Technology, Khayelitsha
• Lihle Mdiza (Grade 12) – Soneike High School, Kuils River

Thank you to all the learners who entered the competition, and we look forward to seeing how their schools make good use of the additional funds to improve reading skills in the Western Cape!