R360 000 Classrooms Donation Eases Class Size Crisis At Ndwedwe Primary School
For Immediate Release:
07 June 2022
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because it is here that children learn the important skills which prepare them for life. It is primary education that provides the solid foundation upon which the talents of the nation’s youth may grow. That start in life can be appreciably affected by excessive class sizes.”
“In crowded classes teachers experience difficulty in understanding individual learner needs and to engage with them. Noise is also a major nuisance, because the more learners there are in a classroom, the noisier it will become as everyone battles to be heard. Of course, and of concern, is that learners who battle to understand what is being taught find it easy to hide in big classes and will lag even further behind, without the teacher being aware.”
In 2017, the school was responsible for 84 learners, but by this year the number had more than doubled to 173, placing great strain on teachers trying to manage seriously over-sized classes.
Mr Osman added: “Unfortunately, many schools in South Africa are faced with the problem of overcrowded classrooms; a problem which Government is unable to easily resolve. The construction of new schools and classrooms is the obvious answer, but impossible in light of ongoing funding constraints.”
Schools experiencing excessive class sizes have been further affected during the past two years by the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant disruption of education and need for teaching under socially-distanced conditions.
“This is emerging as a major challenge and is one faced head-on by Makhawula Primary School. This is a small school battling to accommodate rapidly growing admissions demand; demand which was quickly outstripping available space, whilst simultaneously experiencing severe financial hardship,” Mr Osman stressed.
“Hearing about the school’s desperate situation, the South African Muslim Charitable Trust was extremely pleased to assist by providing R360 000 for the procurement of two additional classrooms here,” he said.
The SAMCT, created in 2008, was established to provide funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. It has successfully delivered sizeable solutions throughout the country, irrespective of race or religion and works to support needy organisations in the fields of health, social development, poverty alleviation and education.
Mr Osman said of the organisation’s classrooms donation: “These classrooms will assist in ensuring that learners here will better receive the personal attention needed to promote their growth and development. These facilities will also go a long way towards making both teachers and learners more comfortable in an environment more conducive to proper education.”
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For more information about SAMCT or its Makhawula Primary School donation of two mobile classrooms, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za