By Thando Duma | Project Assistant
No-one anticipated that the corona virus would put a stop to the world. The education system was very hard hit during the lockdown, especially in Alexandra, where the schools were already struggling to meet the minimum educational needs of students.
Our Rose-Act Saturday School, which usually supports children with extra English and Maths classes, also had to completely shut down until the lockdown restrictions eased, but we knew we had to do more.
We contacted all the parents and started WhatsApp lessons, but sadly these only helped 25% of our students as many did not have access to smartphones and connectivity. We then took to the street and printed out weekly worksheets that we distributed at two central points in Alex and that's when we saw a 50% increase in engagement.
With the lockdown easing, we have managed to convert our Alex offices to classrooms that accommodate 8-10 students at a time. We are currently assisting grade 8 and 9 learners in the morning and grade 6 and 7 learners in the afternoon. While we know this is not sufficient, we also have an after-school programme running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:00-16:00 to close the learning gaps. Our afternoon school programme also resumed at the beginning of Sept. This programme provides one-on-one attention to vulnerable children who desperately need love and support.
Thank you for your support to help the youth have a better chance to overcome their educational barriers.
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