I visited my first classroom today - 11th grade Business Studies class. The school was located in a township (defined by locals as the ghetto). Considering that resources seem to be minimal, the building very run-down by our standards, and the children living in a level poverty unknown by any American, I was VERY impressed with the focus, respect, enthusiasm, and energy of the students. It was a life-changing experience.
Do Note: Not all school buildings/ neighborhoods in South Africa resemble what I described here. Many are spilling over with resources and are just as well-off as those in America. I share this because there are many negative misconceptions about Africa and its people, which are often influenced by U.S. media.
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Braai anyone? St. Benedict School, the school my daughter is attending while in South Africa, hosted its family Braai (barbeque) night. Of course we opted for all the traditional South African meats for the grill - boerewors (see picture below), lamb chops, and mutton (sheep). The food was scrumptious, but the best part -- the South African people. Kindly offering to assist us with cooking our meat, sharing traditional drinks, and enlightening us with culture, their neighborly hospitality was warmly received and appreciated.
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| Raw Boerewors |
February 3, 2011
Today I visited two schools located in the township of Umlazi. The first school, Umlazi Comprehensive Technical School, serves 2,400 students in grades 8 -12, some of which are a part of its boarding school. The 9th grade lesson I observed focused on supply and demand, a economic concept taught in all South Africa schools, taught by a teacher with a classroom audience of 72 students! I was later informed that class sizes could reach up to 100 students/ teacher, all crammed in small classrooms with very limited space for movement.
The second school I visited was Menzi High School, and it is this experience that I want to spotlight. Being observed by a university supervisor and myself, the teacher engaged in her final evaluative observation prior to licensure determination. She stood before 57 impressionable 10th graders tightly squeezed in a cramped classroom with broken windows and no visual stimuli covering any of the walls. Yet, her lesson on social issues that effect business (crime, HIV, poverty, etc.) was brilliantly crafted and masterfully delivered. Her use of higher-level questioning and use of real-life connections familiar to her students resulted in responses from students that were highly insightful and articulated with such poise, grace, and intellect. Kudos to this young teacher who embodies the heart and spirit of a teacher any parent would desire for her child.
Week of February 6, 2011
Developing a better understanding of the political and structural differences amongst types of schools in South Africa was one of this week's focuses. After the abolition of apartheid in 1994, the laws governing private education in South Africa changed significantly. The South African Schools Act of 1996 recognizes two categories of schools: "public" (state-controlled) and "independent" (which includes traditional private schools and schools which are privately-governed.). On the other hand, Model C schools are semi-private schools that have a governing body and a degree of budget autonomy, as these are still fully-owned and accountable to the state. They were once schools that were exclusively white. Prior to this week, I had only visited public schools, and my views were solely shaped by them. Observing in private and Model C schools would be next on the agenda.
St. Benedict School, also the school that my daughter attends, was my first private school observation. I joined an 8th grade EMS class reviewing economic terms. Immediately the aesthetics and teaching constraints were dramatically different than that of the township schools. The most obvious difference? Class size. Rather than the enormously large class sizes of 60 - 100 students, there were 19 students in this class with ample space for students and teachers to move about freely. I later learned that some classes here were as small as eight students. Secondly, my eyes were quickly drawn to the ceiling fans that cooled the rooms, the carpet that adorned the floors, the windows that were damage-free, bright paint that covered the walls, and teacher and student materials plentiful enough to successful complete tasks at hand without compromise. I am aware that parents' ability to pay for a private school affords them many amenities not a reality for many of South Africa's poor children. However, seeing that a good education directly correlates to liberation, empowerment, and the advancement of human beings, it should be the fundamental right for EVERYONE to be entitled to a learning environment that promotes success and promise.
At St. Benedict, there also seem to be a collective difference in behavior and attitude among students here and those of the township schools. Similar to American students, these students seem more distracted by peers and were frequently reminded to stop talking. Observing this certainly caused pause. Does easy access to a good education result in students that do not realize the depth of their privilege nor the advantage they have over those that long for it? Do note that, similar to township classrooms, student talking never reached a excessive level, there was no disrespecting or degrading banter, and the teacher was repeatedly addressed as "sir." Respect was evident. As far as race, the student population was very diverse with representation from all South African ethnic groups. The township schools visited were solely black.
On a more personal note, my daughter has now been attending St. Benedict School for almost a month, and she LOVES it there!! Each day she returns home from school with a level of excitement seen only on uniquely special days at her school back home.
To learn more about St. Benedict School, visit http://www.sbskzn.co.za/.
February 14, 2011
The day was spent at Pinetown Senior Primary, a Model C school in Durban. Again, Model C schools are semi-private with a governing body and a degree of budget autonomy, yet are still fully-owned and accountable to the state. Students are expected to pay fees, but because these schools are government owned, enforcing fee payments is a challenge.
I was warmly welcomed by a principal who was clearly passionate about the work and progress of the school. Shortly after arriving, the principal assembled her teachers for tea and to learn more about my work in South Africa. Then off to two EMS classes I went. The first was a 6th grade classroom of enthusiastic and pleasant class of 28 students led by a very creative teacher. What stood out here was a teacher who seemed to natural possess the qualities of a good teacher. First, her classroom felt like welcoming with bright curtains hanging from the windows, a jar of sweets (candy) on her desk, bright nametags on all desks, and relevant colorful learning posters displayed all over the room. Students used hand-made notebooks to neatly organize content notes and assignments. The teacher was a regular presence throughout the room and she moved among her students to keep them engaged and on-task. Swiftly recognizing and addressing when a student began to drift off task, she ran a tight but caring classroom. Today's lesson topic was production. With a child-centered poster being the focal point of her lesson, she guided students to understand the concept and later design a product that they would like to make and sell.
The second class observed in the school was a 7th grade EMS class of 27 students learning about needs and wants in relationship to goods and services. Here, too, the teacher was very engaging and student very focused. The use of questioning allowed for higher-level thinking.
In both classes, I was greeted by a class of students that stood and verbally welcomed me as a collective body and to say farewell with an animated chant combined with a rhythemic clap. Time was also set aside for me to address questions that students had about U.S. schools and culture. In regards to class size (although slightly larger), the availability of resources and the physical appearance of the school, Pinetown Senior Primary was very similar to what I observed at the private school. However, it was brought to my attention that the collection of school fees has become a serious challenge. Far too many parents have selected the school knowing that it is fee-based but realizing that enforcing this is difficult. As a result, many have refused to pay the fees and the government does not supplement for fees unpaid. Hence, the struggle to maintain smaller classrooms, fully staffed teachers, and adequate resources is real here.
Collectively, the visits to the government, Model C, and private schools have provided me with a clear lens as to developing a curriculum that meets the needs of ALL teachers, no matter the teaching situation. To learn more about the EMS curriculum that I am developing, please visit the Capstone page.
March 22, 2011
The beautiful Durban Girls College (school's website), a private boarding and day school for girls grades pre-primary to 12th, was where I had the honor to experience today. I was invited as a guest speaker to speak to the 12th grade girls on the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, a topic currently studied within their coursework, and my personal experience with racism in America.
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| Presenting at Durban Girls College |
Asked to focus more on my personal experiences and that of my family, I began with a very brief history of the Civil Rights Movement. The remainder of the presentation centered around my mother and father who were both born down south during the 1920s. Descendants of slaves, they succeeded even though familiar with share cropping, Jim Crow Laws, the KKK, and the Civil Rights Movement. Also shared was my personal story with the Chapter 220 Program and being the only person of my color in my grade during grade school and one of very few in middle and high school.
Living in the reflection of apartheid in South Africa, these intelligent and sensitive girls were eager to make racial inroads in their own country to improve race relationships here.
March 29, 2011
St. Benedict School hosted it Swim Gala in which Dailen competed in four events: 200 free relay, 50 breaststroke, 50 butterfly and 50 backstroke. She did really well!
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| Dailen getting ready to swim |
March 30, 2011
The day was spent in KwaMashu, a large township twenty miles north of Durban with very high levels of poverty. The township was formed by the apartheid state where until 1994, its rules meant that it was illegal for white people to live in the poor township, or for blacks to live in the nearby city of Durban. While in KwaMashu, I had the pleasure of visiting two public schools, Daluxolo (meaning "make peace") Lower Primary and Nhlakanipho (meaning "wisdom") High School. The school buildings and campuses mirrored that of others previously discussed during other township school visits. Nevertheless, student smiles were abundant.
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| Young Daluxolo students playing during a school day break |
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| Daluxolo Students preparing to sing to us |
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| Can you find me seating in this 8th grade class? |
Both school visits were left with feelings of sadness realizing the conditions children must learn in all due to political structures linked directly to financial resources and also rejoicing in the fact that such conditions have not extinquished a passion to learn and a heart to warmly welcome others. However, there must be something that I can do! It is my hope that my little contribution to education here will make a long-lasting impact in the lives of even families living in KwaMashu.
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