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Khanya School. The evolving story behind Herne Hill School’s “adopted” sister school. Introduction. At the end of 2005, Herne Hill School formed an allegiance with Khanya Primary School, a state school in Cape Town Our aim has been to form long lasting links which:
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Khanya School The evolving story behind Herne Hill School’s “adopted” sister school
Introduction • At the end of 2005, Herne Hill School formed an allegiance with Khanya Primary School, a state school in Cape Town • Our aim has been to form long lasting links which: • Support this desperately poor school • Provide benefits to our children such as making them more appreciative of the material comfort they enjoy and aware of the world they live in • This presentation aims to: • Introduce Khanya Primary School • Explain the history of our relationship with them • Describe the most important support initiatives to date (as of Autumn 2009), which have been made possible through superb fundraising efforts and help by our parent association the Friends of Herne Hill School (FHHS or ‘the Friends’)
Khanya Primary School is a public state school in Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town
It started in 2004 as a split-off from an overcrowded school in SamoraMachel, Philippi Xhosa is the native language in the area
Richard, the Principal, and his Deputy Linda, have been leading it from the outset
The nearest available facility was in a remote and isolated youth reformatory
As a result, all children had to come to school by school bus (about 30 min. ride)
Grades Age Children Adults Class sizes Khanya in Nov. 2005 1 - 7 6 - 13+ 983 learners 24 educators 0 assistants 5 support staff 40 - 90 Since Khanya quickly grew to nearly 1’000 “learners”…
… the facilities became vastly overcrowded, with frequently 60+ children per classroom
In Jan. 2006, Khanya was moved to the better facilities of a school in the coloured and much wealthier area of Mitchell’s Plain Buckingham Primary School was relocated because it had only about 350 learners and was using only one of the school’s two wings
… the facilities are more accessible and much more spacious However, this is not yet Khanya’s long-term home, which remains an unresolved issue
… as about two-thirds of their parents are unemployed and therefore very poor
An entire family lives in such a dwelling, usually without heating
Only a small fraction of children live in solid brick houses such as these
By contrast, the school is a safe haven where the children proudly wear their uniforms…
The children work hard and take school seriously Typical day for this 7-grader • Get up at 5:30 a.m. • Eat breakfast, wash, brush teeth, put on school uniform • Walk to bus stop at 6:40 a.m. • Bus leaves at 7:10 a.m. and gets to school at 7:40 a.m. • School from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. • Take bus back home, change, eat, wash dishes • Homework • Watch TV and play with friends
From Reception through Grade 3, teaching is essentially in Xhosa with form teachers
From Grade 4, teaching is essentially in English and by subject
Grades Age Children Adults Class sizes Khanya Reception - 7 5 - 13+ 1’400 learners 29 educators 5 assistants 5 support staff 40 - 55 Herne Hill Nursery – Year 2 3 – 7 260 pupils 20+ teachers 20+ assistants 5 support staff 16 - 24 Today, Khanya has nearly 1’400 learners for 30 educators – about five times more than Herne Hill for similar staff numbers
A major improvement since 2007 has been the provision of a hot rice and beans lunch by the Dept. of Health’s This was initially only available for the neediest children but has recently been extended to cover all learners
After lunch, they wash their plate and spoon and keep them in the classroom
Another important and very recent improvement (2009) has been the establishment of a modern computer lab by the Dept. of Education It is fitted with alarm, air conditioning and 28 work stations enabling entire classes to be accomodated (through double seating per workstation)
Herne Hill School’s link with Khanya started in fall 2005 with the help of School-Aid • Origin of our relationship with Khanya Primary School • Regular requests from parent • association FHHS to make school • in 3rd world charity of the year • Definition of criteria (age range, • size, ethos, location, etc.) and • briefing thereof to School-Aid • School-Aid visit in Africa identifies • Khanya as ideal candidate in June 2005 • FHHS adopt Khanya as charity of the year and launch of • relationship through visit by Dominik in Nov. 2005 www.school-aid.org Supporting schools in emerging countries
From the outset, we felt the Herne Hill children would also greatly benefit from this link • Awareness of their own relative material wealth and thankfulness for what they have • Realisation that material wealth is not all that matters • The Khanya children can be just as talented and happy in spite of their poverty • Friendships and human bonds are also very important • An additional way to experience our “loving, caring” ethos and the satisfaction that comes from helping and giving • Important element of becoming “responsible citizens of our world community”, together with ecological awareness, appreciating nature, etc. • Learning about Africa and the wider world • Appreciation of the importance of education and how seriously the Khanya children take it
Our support for and links with Khanya broadly falls into three categories: Material support (donations & funds) Secondary school bursaries Emotional support & friendship
Our material support started with donations of used books and stationary, which have been shipped through School-Aid
This has enabled library corners in every Khanya classroom These books will also form the initial content of the new school library, which is being established with our help
We have also sent curriculum books, which the educators appreciate greatly
In 2006 and 2007, the Friends equipped the newly founded Reception classes, for which there were no resources whatsoever, with furniture…
The Friends also contributed for several months to the first Reception teacher’s salary until it could be included in Khanya’s budget
Other support by the Friends included buying a science kit in 2006 and replenishing it in 2009
As a result, the dedicated science teacher has had resources other than blackboard and chalk
The funds raised by the Friends have enabled further material support for which Khanya would have had no funds • Purchase of an electronic keyboard and funding for a piano accompanist for the school’s girls choir • Purchase of drums and a marimba • Support for sports and other clubs through purchases of kits and equipment for netball, soccer and rugby and a set of “drummies” (majorettes) uniforms • Substantial support for IT and communications (although keeping all up and running has remained challenging) • Computers and internet for the office • Projector and internet connection for the computer lab • Webcams and microphones for Skype connections • Digital video camera with the intent of exchanging footage
With the graduating class of Dec. 2007, we launched our own bursary scheme to annually support six gifted and deserving learners through secondary school • Bursary scheme outline • Six learners are chosen annually from the three Grade 7 classes based on: • Academic performance and potential • Financial need • Good natured and giving personality • The chosen bursaries all move on to local state schools, so, there are no school fees and transport costs to pay – only the uniform, excursions and stationery; this amounts to about £80 per bursary per year • This is provided for all six years of secondary school as long as the bursaries continue to achieve good grades and stay in touch with Khanya School • According to Khanya, the scheme has had a major motivational boost for many learners – not just in Grade 7 • We hope that some of our bursaries will eventually go to university and be able to make a difference in their community, thereby “closing the loop” of our support from the first school year through the entire education cycle
The Dec. 2007 pilot proved successful, and we added six more bursaries in Dec. 2008 Yanga and Unathi, two of our Dec. 2008 bursaries, with their certificates and welcome letters – Who knows, maybe one of them will one day become a Herne Hill School gap assistant?
Beyond material support and our bursary scheme, our emotional support appears to be just as important • “We thank the learners, parents and educators of Herne Hill School from the bottom of our heart – not just for your donations and financial help but also for your emotional support” Richard Nogqala, Principal • “You have brought us hope!” Linda Mahote, Deputy Principal • “It is reassuring to know that we have friends in the UK who care. We’re so lucky to have you!” Sean, Head of Department
The monthlong visit by Linda Mahote (Khanya’s Deputy Principal) in June 2009 has further deepened these bonds of friendship Linda on her last day at Herne Hill singing and dancing with Mrs Beales, Mrs Telford, Mrs Irby and Mr Carles
One of our ongoing priorities is to expand the interactions and exposures to Khanya for our children • Learning on South Africa and Khanya embedded in the curriculum • Visits by Dominik to all Pre-Prep classes to talk about Khanya School • Broadband to improve e-mail communication and exchange of digital pictures and to enable Skype calls • Correspondence between our Year 2 and their Grade 4 classes
To conclude, we are proud to be associated with these friendly, …
