Teaching is more than passing info

I was recently invited to write an article after I had narrated some of the very serious issues that confront us as educators so that the communities out there can, hopefully, empathise with the context within which we do our work.

The objective of this exercise should not be construed as an attempt to rationalise what is not done right in the said schools or sanitise the misdemeanours that may be caused by teachers or pupils, far from it.

This is rather a means to engage with the progressive-thinking people in the broader community, those who may wish to join our school community in finding tangible and sustainable solutions to the issues that have been outlined below. To the uninitiated, this is broadly the context: many pupils living in townships require protection and resilience to overcome barriers and adversities in their context of development.

In the absence of constructive and supportive conditions in the home environment, the school would logically appear to be their next port of call.

No teacher or principal, in our context, may say they are in the teaching profession for transmission of knowledge and skills alone.

Before one judges what transpires in our township schools, I suggest to all and sundry that one should first spare a thought for the many a colleague who works under very challenging conditions, but are seldom appreciated for their resilience and achievements.

Yes, ours has become something of a thankless job, thanks to occasional bad publicity caused by certain schools.

Many issues that were previously unheard of when some of us joined the teaching profession have, regrettably, become part of our school’s landscape, particularly in the townships.

The following issues have come to constitute very serious barriers to learning and teaching in many of our schools: poverty, violence, crime, substance abuse, HIV/Aids, inflexible curriculum, unsafe schooling environment, and the lack of recognition of the important role that parents and caregivers can play in supporting the teaching and learning process.

These are the issues that make some educators feel that they cannot cope, that they do not have the power to make the necessary changes by themselves.

They feel lonely sometimes.

While I hold firmly the view that teachers are key to finding factors that may hinder learning, teachers, nevertheless, need to network with other people and institutions who may have the necessary capacities, skills, resources to support both us as teachers and pupils, when dealing with substantial barriers to learning.

The following comes to mind: Parents and care givers; members of the local community; helping professions such as doctors, nurses, psychologists and social workers; members of NGOs; the South African Police Services; neighbourhood watches, security companies; and community-based mentors.

One is aware of many schools that are part of such networks, but are not necessarily convinced that these are sustainable for long-term benefits.

I would rather like to advocate for all-inclusive and school-based support networks, so that pupils don’t have to experience the inconvenience of travelling distances to access the much needed support services. This is what is known in educational circles as a care, support, learning and teaching project. This can be done so that no child is left behind.

* Zola Pahlana is principal of ID Mkize Secondary School.