Q: What happens in the projects you are involved in?
Q: What happens in the projects you are involved in?
A: HPS encourages schools to grow vegetables. Some of the vegetables are sold to the community and some are used to make soup for the learners. HPS has established health centres in the schools and the school nurse also screens learners to fi nd out if they have sight or hearing problems. We encourage HPS schools to become Eco schools.
Q: Can you also tell me about the literacy project?
A: In 2008, I was invited by one of the Eco schools – Samuel Ntsiko Primary – to help with slow learners in Grade 2. I asked a colleague to join me.
We started with 10 learners in the afternoon. What was amazing with this school was the other teachers came and joined us.
While we were working with the learners we noticed that some had social problems and others learning problems. We helped the teachers complete the form, which was diffi cult for them.
We also had meetings with the parents and encouraged them to motivate the learners at home. The class has grown. This year we have 37 learners and more volunteers. A Computer Science student has got the computer lab going and learners are reading and writing on screen.
Q: What do you think needs to be done to improve education in Grahamstown?
A: Number one, if they can reduce the number of learners in the classroom. And number two, if they can have a special class for the slow learners so that they can have that chance to grow and improve themselves. And number three, if they can get visits from the Department of Welfare once or twice a week because many of learners’ problems are social problems. Also as part of HPS, the school nurse can also visit the schools regularly.
Q: What should the school nurse do?
A: She should do the screening – hearing and eyesight. They can refer children to the clinic and to the social worker. The parents must be involved because I’ve noticed that when the nurse sends the parents a letter asking them to take their child to the clinic, some of the parents ignore the letters.
Q: Why do you think that happens?
Because many of the learners are not living with their parents. They are living with their grandmothers
who are unable to read. So the school nurse needs to invite the guardians to be part of this so that they can get more knowledge and take the learners to the clinic.
Q: Are there any other things schools need?
A: They need remedial teachers. And they also need reading books for the learners because they don’t have reading books.
Q: Do you have any children of your own?
A: Two – both boys. One is in Grade 7. The other is my brother’s son, who I am looking after. He is in Grade 11.
Q: How do you support their learning?
A: First of all I ask them: What did you do today at school? They tell me. I also check their books. And after that, I ask them to read for me. Sometimes they are lazy to do that, but I have to try to encourage them. I ask them about the book. I also ask them about their sports.
Q: Are they keen sportsmen?
A: Yes, they like rugby – they play in the A teams. They love it. They say, “You must come and watch me because I am going to play!”
Q: Have you any fi nal thoughts?
A: It is nice to work for the community, to plough back to your community. Schools need strong support from the community.
We need to involve the parents they will also learn from this. Also parents must visit the library because the library is not meant for learners only it’s also for the community.
If we involve parents, the gospel will spread! We must read in Xhosa. If learners can read a Xhosa book with understanding, they will be able to read an English book with understanding.
Learners like to read in English but they can’t understand what they are reading. The last point, when you are working with the learners, you have to be a mother to them because they need love, they need care. Many are not living with their parents. They need to feel at home!
