Planning for success and shifting agency: The 2023 Gauteng Story
February 7, 2023The magic of a good workshop
March 23, 2023Picture above from left to right: Edufundi Mentor Pamala Naicker, Devandra Naidu, Thembeka Veldman, Programmes Manager Vuyokazi Vinqi, Leadership Support Coach Bheki Ngidi, Content Development and Training Manger Robyn Pitot and Mentor Nelisiwe Mohali.
This piece by Devendra Naidu, Intermediate Phase Mentor at Edunfundi, reflects on the recent Lead Like a Champion (LLAC) workshop held in Kwa-Zulu Natal this month.
“An extremely high number of students drop out of school before they reach matric because our educational system does not respond to their needs. Coupled with this, a disappointing 17% of students failed their matriculation examinations in KwaZulu Natal in 2022. If our learners cannot learn in the way that we teach, then we must teach in the way that they can learn.”
These were the sentiments echoed by Chief Educational Specialist of the Mafukuzela Gandhi Circuit, Mr Lushozi, who spoke at Edufundi’s third LLAC workshop held on 4th February 2023. The objective of this workshop was to plan to shift agency from Edufundi to the school leaders so that they would eventually be able integrate the Teach Like a Champion (TLAC) techniques into the schools’ culture of teaching and learning.
The Senior Management Teams (SMTs) - comprised of school principals, deputy principals and departmental heads from Edufundi’s ten affiliated primary schools in KZN - gathered at the Garden Court Hotel in Umhlanga to strategise and plan for the year ahead. A number of other officials from the Department of education were also in attendance.
Reflecting
Edufundi is involved in offering support to school leaders and teachers on an ongoing basis. Reflecting on the previous year, representatives from the various schools heaped praise on Edufundi for the outstanding work that it has been doing. They reported that the organisation’s school intervention programme had resulted in a notable improvement in learner behaviour, healthier learner engagement as well as an enhancement of teamwork amongst SMT members. Departmental officials also commended Edufundi’s LLAC and TLAC initiatives and expressed the hope that more schools could be supported.
Representatives from different schools reported that Edufundi’s intervention in their schools had resulted in a notable improvement in learner behaviour and engagement.
Planning Ahead
The workshop was facilitated by Edufundi’s Programmes Manager, Vuyo Vinqi, who conducted proceedings by providing unobtrusive, objective guidance to the group as each team collaboratively progressed towards their goal of developing a composite year plan for their schools. She equipped the teams with specific hands-on skills in a clear and engaging manner so that they could confidently tackle the task at hand.
By the conclusion of the session, the various SMTs felt confident that they were sufficiently equipped with the necessary tools to craft the way forward and thereby attain their goal of embedding the Edufundi Culture in their schools.