For more than 50 years, the MARC Van has been bringing books, library resources and a love of reading to students at Undera Primary School.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The MARC, or Mobile Area Resource Centre service was established in the 1970s by the Education Department to help ensure students in rural government schools had access to the same opportunities as students in larger schools.
Undera has been part of the program since its inception as part of the Country Education Program, with the MARC Van now based at Merrigum Primary School.
The van visits Undera every fortnight as part of a rotation that services 12 schools.
In the opposite weeks, students have a visit from the MACC Art Van.
Fiona Smith said the MARC program provided an important resource for small schools that may not have the budget to continually update their library collections.
“Many small schools can’t afford the cost of constantly updating and replacing library collections, or the cost of having a school librarian,” she said.
“The MARC program allows schools to share the access and knowledge, as well as providing resources for teachers to share as well.”
A typical library session begins with a shared book and an activity based around the story, with lessons tailored to suit the different ages and classes.
Students also get the chance to step inside the van and browse the collection before choosing books to take home and enjoy for the next two weeks.
The collection includes picture story books, novels, non-fiction and graphic novels, with students also able to suggest topics, authors, series or particular books they would like to see added to the van.
“The Undera students are always positive and engaged in library sessions,” Fiona said.
“They love enjoying books together and getting crafty.”
Choosing books is a particular highlight, with many Undera students drawn to non-fiction books about animals and nature.
For Fiona, giving children the opportunity to choose books they genuinely enjoy is an important part of developing a lifelong love of reading.
“Having time to read for enjoyment and develop a love of reading is really important, as is having freedom to choose books that interest us,” she said.
She said reading at home could look very different from formal classroom reading, whether it was flicking through a non-fiction book, looking at pictures or reading together at bedtime.
But perhaps the most rewarding part of the program is watching the students grow.
“Seeing tiny children start in Prep that grow taller than I am by the time they leave at the end of Grade 6 and seeing them develop as people over that time is a special privilege.”
Fiona Smith brings the MARC Van to Undera Primary School every fortnight, giving students access to a wide range of books and library resources.
Year 5 student Cassidy Beecroft.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
10°C