Non-profit groups jump in to help save school year

From after-school programmes and sanitising schools to providing food and learning packs, education non-profits have rolled up their sleeves to help save the academic year for poorer children.

Without access to technology and data over the past few months, pupils at SA’s poorest schools have not had any educational continuity and, despite a trimmed curriculum, may face a monumental backlog under stressed and unsafe conditions, according to education NGO The Learning Trust (TLT).

Its 40 community-based partners across Gauteng and the Western and Eastern Cape have already been hard at work helping children at home with their educational needs and now have more plans in place to ensure they don’t drop out of school.

A recent report by Prof Servaas van der Berg and Dr Nic Spaull, titled “Counting the Cost: Covid-19 school closures in South Africa and its impact on children”, found that with the government’s current plans, by the end of term two SA children would have lost between 25% and 57% of the “normal” school days scheduled up to that point as a result of Covid-19 school closures.

If schools do not close again later in the year then children would have lost between 14% and 33% of the regular academic year.

“Even before the lockdown began, General Household Survey data showed that at least 2.5 million children experienced hunger and lived below the food poverty line. Approximately 1 million under the age of five are stunted.

“Hunger and acute malnutrition are likely to have been severely aggravated by the lockdown and school closures since hundreds of thousands of informal workers lost all income and children no longer received free school meals,” the report stated.

Scores of children have relied on school feeding programmes for proper nutrition.

TLT, through its funding and capacity support of after-school programmes run by partner NGOs, has been working to improve educational outcomes of young people living in poverty.

Research shows that afterschool programmes, which include tutoring and homework, e-learning, skills building, sport and arts and culture, can measurably improve pupil success in school and help to prevent dropping out, which is prevalent in quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools.

Sibongile Khumalo, the executive director of TLT, said: “We’ve seen our partner organisations pivot during the Covid-19 crisis to help practically address immediate educational needs.

“They are playing roles in monitoring sanitation at schools, as well as reaching out to learners who are still at home due to the phased return to school.

“Digital solutions have had little to no impact in the communities where we operate. Other ways to support learners and include them in catch-up are vital.

“We also have the incredible task of shaping a post-pandemic world where these children can equally access the resources they need to learn and succeed in our country.”

Since lockdown most NGOS have had to take their afterschool programmes online through WhatsApp, Skype and Zoom.

Pupils from Grade R through to 12 had been catered for with tutoring, counselling and life skills.

However, poor access to devices and data meant many NGOs had resorted to producing and distributing physical learning packs.

TLT itself has worked in partnership with others to design and print a resource targeted at Grade 1-5 pupils who are likely to stay at home for an extended period.

“Parents have been challenged with p roviding learning opportunities and teaching at home, completely out of their comfort zone,” said Khumalo.

“Translated into five other languages in addition to English, the Treasure Box activity packs were designed to engage whole families, with adults and older siblings mediating content for the younger ones in the home.”

In addition to learning materials, NGOS had in many cases also been distributing food to children in communities they work in, while others helped schools get sanitised and prepare for the phasing-in of the next cohort of pupils on Monday.

Partner after-school programmes had been training their staff in sanitary practices ahead of the reopening.

They had also pledged support to schools in extending learning to their community centres where necessary.

“Teachers are inundated with curriculum coverage over a limited amount of time towards final exams, particularly for the Grade 12s,” said Khumalo.

“The support being offered by after-school programmes will spread the load and ensure extended learning takes place in the hours outside of the classroom, particularly weekdays 36pm and on Saturdays.

“In this way pupils will be able to access additional learning partners beyond class time, and there is a likelihood of greater uptake of content delivered by a diversity of teachers/tutors.

“While we realise that extended learning cannot replace schooling, we believe that the after-school community can make a significant contribution to government efforts.

“We therefore plan to continue funding organisations so that they are able to sustain themselves.

“The pandemic has forced change upon the world, but there are ways we can solve systemic problems and truly improve education in South Africa,” she added.