Gadra Education is seeking to change the educational landscape by shifting emphasis from the classroom to the home, in workshops that are teaching parents how to help their children build positive attitudes towards their homework.
Gadra Education is seeking to change the educational landscape by shifting emphasis from the classroom to the home, in workshops that are teaching parents how to help their children build positive attitudes towards their homework.
The workshops have become overwhelmingly popular.
Foundations for Literacy is one of their innovative programmes that empower parents to effectively support the education of their children and facilitate open communication between the school and the home.
Project facilitator Kelly Long said the programme's objective was to monitor the literacy teaching and assess all learners annually in order to create a strong reading and writing foundation.
By encouraging parents to be more involved in their children’s education, they are able to implement practical work ethics that will help pupils develop a positive outlook towards their studies.
Foundations for Literacy was launched in 2009, and by 2011 it had grown to cover nine schools, 57 teachers and over 1 800 pupils in grades 1-3. The parents are invited to three different workshops that promote learning in the home and help them understand how their children develop.
“The workshops were at first criticised as being impractical and holding no appeal for parents, as they take place on a Sunday afternoon, Long said.
At our first Sunday meeting there were only 24 parents, but it was such a success that the second meeting bought 130 parents to the school hall.”
The workshops teach parents how to help their children with the work sent home and reinforce positive attitudes. By engaging with the work and making it fun through various games and puzzles, it not only builds up the parent-child relationship, but also allows the child to be more focused and enthusiastic at school.
Some of the great tools Long and her team have given the parents and teachers are ‘Happygrams’, a note sent home from the teacher if they feel an individual student should be recognised for any form of achievement they have contributed to the class. The parents can return the compliment by writing on the white board that has been erected in the school if they feel a teacher should be praised. “Through these workshops we are able to get feedback from both teachers and parents and this allows us to monitor what needs to be worked on and how we can help the learners by helping those that guide them.”
A civil society organisation, Gadra Education is a champion of education and hopes to inspire the community to take control of the education system that is guiding the voices of tomorrow. It works within the education policy framework laid out by the South African government. Implementing various programmes within the community, their vision is that by 2020 all children and young adults in Grahamstown will benefit from good quality and relevant education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
If you would like to get involved in Foundations for Literacy or contribute any resources, please contact Kelly Long at Kelly@gadraed.co.za
