EDUCATION

Education in Mpumuza/Sweetwaters still feels the effects of the Apartheid government's policies. Poor infrastructure, huge class sizes, unqualified or poorly trained teachers and absenteeism are just some of the problems in the area. There is no doubt that the majority of the learners lack basic skills that are the foundation to their learning. Without cognitive, creative, social & emotional, speech & language as well as gross & fine motor skills children are often left incapacitated to achieve the outcomes of the curriculum when they enter grade one.

For this reason iThemba Projects has focused firstly on Early Childhood Development, and specifically the age range from 0-7yrs. Mpumuza has an estimated 5000 children below the school going age. Of which only about 700 attend registered preschools in the area. And even these preschools do not provide the development of key skills required for further learning.

“Study after study has shown us the benefits of early development programmes. Subsequent repetition rates are lower, language development is higher, and primary school completion rates are higher for children who have had access to early development programmes. “ Naledi Pandor 2007.

iThemba seeks to improve the many facets of the education system in Mpumuza, by purposefully facilitating  and assisting the community to address it themselves. iThemba has begun over the last three years to resource the schools, train the educators, develop community volunteers and implement sustainable education programmes (in line with government curriculum). Already we have been encouraged by the response of the grade one educators to the improved skills base of the grade ones iThemba has worked with.

We have targeted nine preschools, which we will be working alongside by the end of 2009. Further we intend to have started a new preschool by the end of 2009 on the plot Inkosi Zondi (Community Leader) donated for the work of iThemba Projects. At present, we assist with teacher workshops for grades 1 - 3 teachers from almost twenty primary schools. We also partner, with two private schools to teach English as a second language in two of the primary schools we work in. In 2009 we intend to increase our focus on skills development, resource provision, teacher training and our volunteers programme to the foundation phase in (grades 1-3). 

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