TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Since the inception of the HSRP, we have stated that our approach to the restoration of the schools involves two parts: on one hand, the physical restoration of the historic buildings and the addition of new ones, and on the other, the restoration of the standards of educational and cultural excellence. There is no doubt in our minds that, as discussed in my introduction, a combination of good teachers and sound leadership is indispensible.

Principals’ Workshop

In April 2009 the HSRP held a two-day workshop for principals and other representatives of the initial six pilot schools. This was to promote the mandate of the HSRP, namely excellence in education and to offer support to the principals and staff in achieving their educational goals. A number of presentations were made, which were followed by group discussions with mentors from the Independent Quality Assurance Agency (IQAA) who conducted the 2008 educational evaluations. This workshop allowed for reflection on the progress made on the priority needs goals, and an opportunity for discussions around plans for school stakeholder conferences to be held. The intention of these conferences is to involve not only the educators, learners and parents but also the wider community and unions, and to encourage representatves from the provincial education departments to prepare fully supported plans for the future of each school.

Strategic Planning Workshop

In January 2010 the HSRP held a three-day strategic planning workshop in Cape Town. The aim of the workshop was to focus on a few important questions:

• What are the characteristics of school excellence from an HSRP perspective?
• What lessons about excellence and the challenges of achieving it can we discern from the experience of the HSRP and other schools?
• How do we develop a general approach to school excellence that is responsive at the same time to the individual needs and circumstances of each HSRP school?
• Given the current context, how can the HSRP contribute to helping instil the necessary commitment and passion in the teaching profession required to build a culture of excellence?
• Who are the stakeholders of the HSRP schools and how do we involve them in creating conditions for excellence?
• How can the HSRP’s work with pilot schools contribute to the broader turn-around in the South African context?

We were fortunate in being able to draw together a number of very knowledgeable people, ranging from Department of Education specialists, to senior academics, a student leader, business people and three of our pilot school principals.

The discussion was extremely constructive and we emerged with an implementation plan for 2010 and beyond, which included (among other things):

• creating guidelines for advising pilot schools on how to go about developing holistic school renewal plans;
• holding further school community meetings to focus on building a shared common vision and address existing problems at the school;
• increasing alumni mobilisation;
• enhancing communication and marketing;
• clarifying the roles of the Board, advisory groups, management and staff in order to enhance synergies, reduce uncertainty and avoid duplication;
• developing a fundraising strategy;
• working with schools to refine renovation plans, develop realistic costing proposals and initiating appropriate fundraising approaches.

By the end of March 2010, work had begun on most of the above.

Participants in the HSRP’s strategic planning workshop held in Cape Town in January 2010.

Teacher Training

In addition to the Strategic Planning Workshop, much thought, discussion and investigation has taken place over the 2009/2010 year around how best to achieve educational excellence. We have so far identified four possible teacher and leadership training organisations to partner with us in this endeavour. They are:

• TEACH South Africa, which recruits and trains top university graduates to teach maths, science, technology and English at under-resourced schools for a period of two years.
• The Umlambo Foundation, which provides a leadership and management training programme for principals which includes mentoring and support, as well as educator support programmes among other things.
• PEARL Edu Vision, a non-profit organisation with the primary objective of improving access to quality education in the rural areas and developing schools into centres of excellence, mainly through its teacher development programme.
• c’Dabra, which works mainly in the Western Cape at present, aims to facilitate the restoration of communities through values-based intererventions, focussing mainly on school educators, management and school communities. If the HSRP can broker partnerships between these organisations and schools whose educators and leaders need training, then we will be going a long way towards fulfilling our mandate.

I am happy to report at this stage that the HSRP is already funding four TEACH SA “ambassadors” (as the graduates are called): two at Healdtown in the Eastern Cape and two at Lemana in Limpopo. They began work at the schools at the beginning of 2010. Discussions are ongoing with the other training organisations and it is planned that staff enrichment courses will begin at other schools during the latter half of 2010.

In January 2010, it was suggested that the HSRP consider producing an information booklet or computer database giving information on the various approved training courses available for principals, teachers and school communities in each province, both governmental and non-governmental. This would be a useful resource for all schools needing to improve educational standards, but would probably need the medium-term appointment by the HSRP of a research consultant. This possibility is being investigated.

The ZK Matthews Educational Trust

As part of our commitment to quality education for all South African children, even the poorest, the HSRP has created the ZK Matthews Educational Trust. The Trust will help ensure the sustainability of the restored schools and will award necessary bursaries and subsidies.

The Fund is managed pro bono by Investec and administered by Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs. The Board is chaired by Ms Sheila Sisulu, with Mr Sello Moloto, Justice Ian Farlam, Dr Sindiwe Magona, Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu, Prof Geoff Everingham and Justice Thembile Skweyiya as Trustees. The first Trustees meeting was held in Johannesburg in June 2009. We began the fund with one million Rands, part of a donation to the HSRP by the South African Reserve Bank.

Defining Cultural Excellence

We know that during the apartheid years black South African culture was largely ignored. Music icon Hugh Masekela is a strong proponent of the revival of traditional heritage for Africans. He and many others believe that this will allow Africans to restore and maintain a healthy sense of self in a world dominated by Western cultural influences. He also believes that one way of achieving the revival of African heritage is through the arts.

Part of the HSRP’s mandate is to restore cultural excellence in schools, so in October 2009 I invited around 30 South Africans involved in various cultural disciplines – sport, music, drama, art, craft, dance, etc. – as well as educators and other professionals to a one-day facilitated workshop in Cape Town. The aim of the workshop was to discuss and try to answer two core questions: firstly, how would you define culture? And secondly, how would you define cultural excellence at secondary (historic) schools? Once some answers to those questions had been received, participants were asked for ideas on how to promote cultural excellence within schools.

The workshop was fascinating and produced many opinions and ideas. To quote a few:

• “Culture is a set of beliefs and practices which identifies a people.”
• “Culture is often equated with tradition, but culture is dynamic, while tradition is static.”
• “Culture is the history behind you as you move forward”
• “It is the lens through which we see the world.”
• “Culture is the individual identity of a particular school – this is informed by the identities of those that created (formed) the school.”
• “Culture is a vehicle to build moral personality.”
• “We need to re-think the role of culture in building a new society.”
• “The arts should play a central role in the curriculum, as part of education.”
• Have teacher champions for cultural activities.
• Draw in cultural icons – musicians, artists, writers, dancers, etc. – to work with learners.
• “African language! African language! African language!”

The workshop produced many answers, but also raised as many questions, and it became obvious that one day was not sufficient to fully investigate such a vast subject. It was decided, therefore, that a larger national colloquium on the subject be held later in 2010.