5 October, community involvement

Today the theme which continually to emerge is that of community involvement in education.

• The government has/is doing its best to aid the situation
• Teachers are having to deal with issues beyond the realm of teaching, which makes their job really difficult, so much so that they are unable to get to teach
• Students arrive unfed
• Large numbers of pupils
• Insufficient support from principals, re discipline
• Social and cultural conflicts (differing class/economic/cultural backgrounds among students)
• Lack of respect toward the teacher and learning

• It is up to the community and parents to assist in education, claiming active roles in the development of their children.
• Often the teacher is left with the job of developing basic interpersonal skills among the pupils, basic human conduct and interaction which traditionally was developed by and through the family. This is largely due to the prevailing break-down in family structures.
• The problems emerging in schools stem from fundamental socio/economic causes. Treating the symptoms at school is inefficient and not resolving anything.
• Students are not disciplined efficiently, resulting in a lack of respect. They are given inappropriate authority, resulting in inappropriate action like going on strike when they don’t get their way!
• A father brings meals to his daughters’ school, enough for 30 pupils, so that they might have a decent, home-cooked-meal at lunch time!