Courts gives free books to schools

The "Courts Free Books for School Programme" was launched yesterday at the Kapok Hotel, St Clair, with the furniture store pledging to "add value everyday to the lives of students" with a start-up cost of $100,000

Courts deputy managing director, Errol Le Blac, said the programme was first started in Fiji where it ran successfully for two years. He said the students and teachers there did everything in their power to collect vouchers to build their libraries. And by the end of the programme, schools which had no libraries had fully stocked libraries.

He hoped the same determination to collect books would be displayed here. Le Blac added that the programme is a means of giving back to the school children and encouraging reading and learning.

The programme is fully supported by the Ministry of Education. Coordinator of the Textbook Rental Unit, Brenda James, described the programme as "brilliant and we look forward to it making an impact on schools’ libraries."

Courts corporate communications officer, Jillian Demming, explained that the programme will initially be aimed at primary school students, but during its two-year run, secondary schools will be included.

There will also be books for the visually impaired. She said beginning next Thursday, every Courts customer making a purchase of $250 or more at its 18 branches will receive one point vouchers which can be donated to any school of their choice, which can then redeem the vouchers for books. Books will be valued from 50 to 100 points.

However, schools must be registered to cash in on the voucher for books.

She said Courts is dedicating a start-up sum of $100,000 to the programme.

The store will purchase more than 70 titles of books from Harper Collins Publishers (Australia) for the programme. The range covers pre-school, primary and more specifically, fiction, non-fiction, mathematics and reference books. Schools registered will receive a starter kit from Courts, containing a complete book guide, order forms, a collection box for vouchers and posters encouraging community members to get involved.

School principals who attended yesterday’s launch received globes for their schools.