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Today we took a trip to Nederburg Primary school. West Chester has been visiting this school since we first came to South Africa in 2001. We started off by having coffee and pastries with some of the faculty members and talking to them about the school and surrounding community.
We learned that the the school has a total of 18 teachers for the 724 students who are enrolled. They have wonderful rugby and soccer teams but, since the expenses for these sports are not covered in the budget, they often rely on fundraising or sponsorship to get the kids to and from games. Right now, they are also trying to build up a tennis team for the school as well.
These after school activities are especially important in this area because there is a lot of gang/ drug related activity in the surrounding area. Teachers look for ways to give students a safe place to go after school. In the area around the community, unemployment is just about 70%. Many parents live off of government funding, which is about $30 per kid per month.
When speaking to the the teachers, two things were incredibly clear: first, that the school was operating under incredibly constricted funding but second, that the teachers were willing to do anything and everything to help there students. I spent some time speaking with the special education teacher and her passion for wanting to help the students was evident.
When I told her that I was in school to become a learning support teacher as well, the first thing that she asked me was whether or not I had any supplies that I could send her. While she does have means to copy papers, the school does not have a lot of graphic organizers or other supplies that help make learning more accessible to students who need help comprehending the material. I got her address so that, when I get home, I will be able to send her a few binders of materials.
Next, we took a walk around the school and visited some of the classrooms. I was incredibly impressed by the computer lab, which was a new addition since I had been there in 2012. We also got a chance to see the library they had. I really appreciated that they had created this library as a safe space for students to do their homework but, thinking back to my own collection of books at home, I do wish there was a way to try to stock the shelves a little bit more.
When the teacher who was leading a small group of us around led us into his classroom, I was surprised at what I saw: the class had over thirty students in it and, even though the teacher had been out of the room for 20 minutes, the kids were sitting quietly and doing their work. I don't think I've ever been in a classroom where a group of 7th graders could be left alone for that long without getting off task!
We spent some time taking pictures and asking the students about their work before one of our professors told us it was time to go. Though our time there felt too short, I was glad we were able to visit and hope to keep in touch with the teachers I met.
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