Educator bemoans resource constraints
Onalenna Kelebeile | Thursday October 15, 2015 15:03
She said there is therefore room for other stakeholders to step in as part of their social responsibility to assist and adopt schools as per the ‘adopt-a-school’ project initiated by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD). Jumbo Warehouse signed a Memorandum of Understanding to adopt the school and supply the school’s business studies, mathematics and science departments with furniture, four computer sets and mathematical instruments starting from next year.
Nashua also donated a photocopier worth P47,000 to the school. Matshameko applauded the partnership between the two companies and the school and said the partnership would go a long way in improving the performance in the school.
“The gesture comes at a time when there is a wide felt concern on the declining of learner achievement as evidenced by the junior certificate results for the past two years in schools generally. Learner achievement is declining because learning needs and schools are evolving and so are the students themselves,” she said during a recent prize giving ceremony at Lebogang Junior Secondary School.
She further said that the entire information and communication landscapes have shifted and the shift will continue hence it is important to have individuals and companies such as Jumbo Warehouse and Nashua fill in the gaps in terms of bringing learning resources and services.
“The chalk and board teaching is no longer an option. Teaching has to be learner centred whereby students learn through activity, trial and error, exploration research and discovery. However teaching becomes teacher centred most of the times because schools do not have resources to cater for these learning principles,’ she added. Matshameko said for this to happen learners need resources that will engage them fully such as computers and Internet, grid boards, calculators and motivation to explore and experiment things on their own.
She further noted that it is for this reason that the MoESD launched the adopt a school initiative in 2011 with the main objective to foster a better understanding of the school system and to create a sense of personal involvement between individuals, companies, organisations and schools.