Edu-change
Our longest running programme in Pearston
Our longest running programme in Pearston
Edu Change is our longest running programme in Pearston, with ten teachers working from preschool to high school level to facilitate extra literacy classes, physical education, sport, as well as supplementing classes where needed. The teachers are empowered through creative teaching tools and strategies by Imajen Education and Xpression Sessions. The programme provides financial support for further studies, skills development and tertiary education for youth as funding allows.
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A few years ago, Sophakama assisted Pearston’s preschool practitioners and dedicated volunteers in obtaining their National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 training to become early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers, through Khululeka Community Education Development Centre. After celebrating the graduation of 12 new practitioners in Pearston, Sophakama was also able to further assist by providing job opportunities for some of the graduates.
Currently, Sophakama assists one preschool with an assistant teacher – Michelle Wallenstein at Sunshine Creche We collaborated with the schools to build new playgrounds, upgrade old playgrounds, build a new classroom at an overcrowded school, and supplied books and and other educational resources.
Sophakama Community Partnership, was also an important part of Takalani Sesame’s (the South African version of the international children’s educational television programme, Sesame Street) outreach into the Eastern Cape. In 2014 we introduced the kits into our local schools.
At Pearston Primary School, Delishia Geswindt currently fills the role of Grade R teacher. To further assist the School, Sophakama also hired Kayline Louw as the Physical Education teacher and Sports Coach – being a very keen rugby player herself.
We also continue programmes introduced by Jade Jacobsohn – Wordworks and Protective Behaviours. Wordworks, a Cape Town based organisation aims to “change lives through literacy”. The team there have developed a comprehensive and simple to use early literacy programme that includes assessment tools and a step-by-step learning journey that takes learners and paired volunteers to a higher level of early literacy. The programme has been developed for Grade R – Grade 2’s. Sophakama had a team of four trained tutors – Nella Hendricks, Marushka Wilson, Melanisa Madolwana and Thabisa Camagu – who are rolling out this great initiative in our local Primary Schools. Since then, Nella hendricks has taken over teaching another Grade R class at the school.
The same Workworks tutors mentioned above also received training in Protective Behaviours. This training provides a toolkit for caregivers to protect children against unsafe situations, particularly against sexual violence. The programme works best as a collaborative effort between schools, communities and parents and arose following a spate of offences which took place in the town in 2014.
Due to the support provided at Pearston Primary, Sophakama also extended an invitation to similarly support at Lukhanyiso Primary School, and Pearston Senior Secondary School.
Lukhanyiso Primary is seriously understaffed with overworked teachers, so we assist with two supplementary teachers – Khanyisa Sitiki and Ntombisizwe Mtsulwana – while the schools try their best to convince the Department of Education to assist. The same goes for Pearston Secondary, where Mr Murphy is assisted by Sophakama as the Afrikaans Life Orientation and Life Sciences teacher.
Extra literacy classes have also been established at Pearston Secondary School, facilitated by Angelique Hermaans in the mornings, and Melanisa Madolwana and Marushka Wilson in the afternoons.
Pearston’s schools experience the same, if not worse, chronic teacher shortages as other Eastern Cape schools do. This shortage over the last few years of Sophakama’s involvement in Pearston has been a key reason for the 94% matric pass rate of 2011 to have plummeted to 24% in 2014. As such we have worked with the NBI to install Stellenbosch University’s satellite Telematics system into Pearston Senior Secondary School so that there are daily Grade 10-12 lessons in six different subjects available to the learners. As a result of the hard work of the Principal, teachers and partnerships, the pass rate at Pearston Secondary School has been rising again.
As the country went into lockdown due to Covid-19, 10 teachers, mentioned above, representing Sophakama in Pearston, started gathering online with Christine Joubert from Xpression Sessions and Jenilyn Deyzel from Imajen to provide a platform to share ideas, learn from each other, educate ourselves and create resources that will provide support in the classrooms.
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