A large percentage of the people signing up for our micro business training courses list Grade 11 as their highest education achieved. Approximately 30% claim to have passed Matric (Grade 12). However this is not a reliable statistic as we do not request copies of certificates, and simply ask students to complete a form. We have discovered many write down “matric”, meaning they got to matric but never passed it. They are the product of a system which pushes people through the grades, only to come crashing down when attempting to pass the national Grade 12 exam.
It is indeed sad to notice the lack of basic writing skills and mathematical ability with those who supposedly passed Grade 11. It is also interesting to note the obvious difference in basic educational ability between those from countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi. The majority of the “foreigners” who attend the courses end up as our top students. The lack of the most basic education remains one of our greatest challenges. Often it feels that what we are doing is helping adults who simply will never “catch up” – the damage was done when they were in their early formative years.
At Thembalitsha we are fully convinced that one of the best ways to serve and bless South Africa, is to do something about early childhood development (ECD). Report after report published has identified this as one of the root causes of many of the challenges we face in this nation. The findings paint a very sad picture. The majority of learners in poor schools start falling behind required literacy and numeracy levels in their first year, and by the time they end the “foundation phase” in grade 3, many have effectively dropped out and will predictably fail to master the curriculum in later years. This is the main reason why around 50% of children drop out of school before they reach matric.
There are many variables at work, including children’s home circumstances. But a primary reason for education failure in the foundation phase is this: A large proportion of South African teachers can’t teach, and many won’t make the effort required to do so. Most are also agreed that the problem is not just what happens in Foundation Phase teaching or thereafter - BUT IN FACT WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE children arrive at formal school. The formative years – 1-6 are of critical importance. If children are not taught certain things and in certain ways – they will NEVER recover. Traditionally this is where the home played a key role – but many children now spend these years in crèches or playschools.
A number of the women who attend our micro business courses run crèches. Looking after children whilst their parents are at work (or looking for work) can generate reasonable income for many. However most of these brave women have no teaching skills. At Themba Training (together with some of the other Thembalitsha projects) we would like to do something about this and train staff at crèches to different skill levels. So watch this space. By helping the teachers, we will help our children, and therefore bring hope to our nation.
