People
People are the greatest asset towards achieving quality education. Wherever we went, the common link we found was people, from the wonderful guests that we interviewed to the people that assisted us to get there. We found out that skilled and passionate teachers definitely create a better learning environment for pupils. The number of learners to a teacher in a classroom also influences the quality of education that each learner gets. “We need more teachers!“(Mr. Mpendulo Ginidza) Our education and what we learn is always shaped by our perceptual filters. Our childhood influences consist of our parents and family members. It is important that the age of the learners is taken into consideration. One of our interviewees in Germany, Youri, works in a kindergarten and he said that at this young age it is important that kids see him as a buddy not as a teacher. He is supporting them with whatever they may need, from reading short-stories to soccer practices. „They [the children] are giving you so much when supporting them towards their development.” (Youri)
This opinion resonated with Dr. Bhuda from the University of Mpumalanga, who believes that the engagement with people of the same age and the same cultural background makes teaching as well as learning easier. This links with how we learn while growing up with our parents and family members as educators. Sharing knowledge begins at home with your parents and the things they teach us in our childhood. In both countries, we found that the relationship between the students and the educators can influence quality education. (Dr Bhuda)
Teaching and learning should be about inspiring and getting inspired (Tessa). With this, it shows that the teacher should always have ways to inspire their students within the class and have better ways to accommodate everyone. Teaching is “not a one-size-fits-all“ (Mama V). Mama V believes that students are different and as a teacher, you need to have ways to accommodate and focus on all your students equally; from those who may be able to get the concept at Day 1 to those who also struggle so that no-one is left behind. “To learn you need to feel comfortable” (Sara). Students learn more when they are comfortable and appreciated because it shows that they are within a safer space and they know it is okay not to know everything and it is also okay to be vulnerable. Sooner or later they do realise to trust and they become more kind to themselves and the world.
“To learn you need to leave your comfort zone“ (Till). Although this opinion might go against what Sara is saying, who believes that students need to be comfortable to get the most experiences, students also need to step up so that they can learn the most for themselves and not depend on the teacher most of the time. Ones own growth should be mandatory & self-driven but also supported by quality educators. Learners, educators, government, outreach programs (Uplands Outreach), family and the broader community all form part of the people that can work towards quality education.
Purpose
Education is the practice of teaching and learning. “Education comes in different forms” (Nikisha) which we can categorize as formal and informal. Each category emphasizes that learning can happen outside of the classroom and still have a positive impact in the lives of learners. “Quality education equips you with skills that helps with school, problem solving and self -development”(Cleopas)
Informal education emphasizes playful excellence, which refers to making technical lessons fun and practical in the aim of thriving academically and becoming a better version of yourself during the process. Some people are “uncomfortable with being taught” (Thomas), hence it is important to know the kind of learner you are so that the learning process can be more beneficial, entertaining and effective for you. “It is important to put what you’ve learned into practical use.” (Trevor)
We all have different reasons for getting educated, some learn for their career and others for entertainment (Maria). Therefore it is important to follow your path consistently and persistently as you find your feet in the world. If we’re going to make the world a better place, “education is important to a human being as a whole, it shapes our way of thinking.” (Thabang)
We should all be willing to “go out in the world, meet people” (Thomas), learn and teach because the world needs impactful leaders who will change the education system for the better. “Education is the most promising way to obtain a fuller and more productive life” (Mama V). To not only teach how to lead but to work on eye-level as a team, community centres like Sinani support project like building a pizza-oven together.
One essential aspect that we took from our interviews is that learning does not only happen in the classroom (Sara). While most people associate learning with formal education at school and university, we figured that learning accompanies us throughout all our life. “Life-long learning“ as a form of self-initiated education is focused on personal development (Sara). We investigated opportunities to deepen knowledge and develop skills throughout life in Germany and South Africa. When, for example, it comes to learning a new language, Maria from an adult learning centre in Germany explained that some of her students learn for their career, others for leisure.
At the ZKM in Karlsruhe (Centre for Art and Media Technology), we learned about the relationship between education and fun. One of our interviewees explained that by “turning a book into a game“ (Angelina), learning can be made fun – for children as well as for adults. When teachers are passionate, it makes learning fun. “If there is a flow of passion, the facilitation is going to flow, knowledge is going to flow.” (Nikisha Singh)
Sadly we found that not everyone has equal chance to succeed in life; it depends on peoples financial situation, family background, environmental, social and political surroundings. A primary school teacher in South Africa explained: “Charity begins at home - once children are loved and supported, chances are they will do well at school.“ (Gugu)
The involvement of non-government organisations that support children from different backgrounds seems important during our investigation. For instance, we got an insight into the Community Center Sinani, as well as Imagine Scholar, a South African after-school programme for talented youth that assists students to reach their full potential with life skills and academic support. “Being an Imagine Scholar means being extraordinary.” (Thenjiwe)
“Learning is self-development; learn on your own to find your own opinions.” (Angelina, ZKM)
The phases of learning reach from a rising interest to encountering new knowledge or skills, integrating them, and eventually applying them. It remains certain that learning for its own sake brings several advantages like boosting confidence and self-esteem, helping to achieve a more satisfying personal life and challenging personal ideas and beliefs. As Mama V from the Uplands Outreach Center in White River summarizes it: “Every door is open through education.“
Places
We have come to the understanding that education can take place from anywhere, but where it happens also affects the quality of education.“ Quality education can be found when people were given space and resources to fully explore their potential.” (Cleopas, Thembalethu)
If you want to receive education, access to resources should be mandatory. If the environment is conducive to learning and teaching, it enables a “focus on children’s emotional well-being.” (Marcia, Uplands)
Although a lot of measures are being taken to make sure equality is on the rise, inequality is unfortunately still a global and daily phenomenon. Who owns which property for centuries still defines where people live (Capitalism), and consequently to what school they go to, which people surround them, what opportunities they (think they) have. Can their parents afford a private school, do they have access to an outreach program from a private school or do people solely depend on governmental funding.
We heard from governmental school that there is not enough money to hire new staff to have a better teacher to student ratio (Mr Mpendulo Gininda, Boschrand Primary school). Moreover we heard of students that have no parents, sometimes no legal documentation and therefore cannot even afford a school uniform.
Some NGOs like Thembalethu try to support the most vulnerable people affected by poverty who sometimes lack information about the importance of education when it comes to your career. Even though we might think of technical devices first when we hear the word resources, we have to consider all of the above-mentioned aspects (social aspects / role-models). As Sara from Germany says, “we need people to create (safe) spaces [for learning].
Which resources are available? Do you get enough factual information? What are the educators’ skills? Is he/she well qualified? How is the learning environment? Where do you live? Do you live in a village or a town? Are you living in a “well-developed country” or not? Do you have access to educational institutions? (UMP)
These aspects influence the different opportunities you have in terms of the educational systems. If you have a look at Germany and South Africa, it can be said that there are similar but also different educational institutions. For instance there are primary schools in South Africa and Germany, but there are also unique institutions, like Imagine Scholar in South Africa. Alex from the ZKM in Germany explains that ideal learning happens in “places where you can participate”. To sum it up, infrastructure is one of the requirements for building learning areas.
Through having a wide selection of information you can build your own opinion by reflecting and combining these ideas and opportunities available to you. Having access is the key for developing an individual interest in a further topic.
In terms of access to education, it should be questioned if there are equal opportunities for all. By visiting a lot of institutions and meeting people we realized that there are very different reference points. It is a big difference whether there are 66 pupils in one class or “only” 20 pupils and one educator.
Policy
Policy is often decided at government level, but has a direct impact on quality education. Some policies encourage quality education and some may restrict the ability to achieve this goal.
Language, culture and heritage are equally important to quality education as they promote life-long learning for all. These pillars are what we consider to be the backbone of identity and expression, therefore enhancing accessibility and excellence. Language as a medium of communication and teaching helps learners to feel more included within an institution and a community. Language is one of the most important aspects of communication. It allows one to express ideas and thoughts: it can be through art, (Sara) verbal, non-verbal and many more. Within the learning space, people should be taught and allowed to use their best method of communication (Tessa). Mastering effective communication enables one to express themself efficiently. Sometimes it’s not that one is stupid or doesn’t know, but fails to express their ideas in a way that makes sense to everyone can hinder a person’s confidence in their work / knowledge. “People actually express themselves better when they can write and learn in their mother tongue.” (Dr Bhuda, University of Mpumalanga) Learning should be made flexible, accommodating everyone.
People should freely have access to education without feeling like they are not good enough. Everyone should be allowed to participate (Alex). Education should be a platform for improvement, where intelligence is not compared within a certain group and mistakes are part of the progress (Maria) and progress is key (Tessa). Learning should be made fun (Alexandra and Angelina).
How a person receives information can differ depending on how they were raised, their culture and beliefs. Learning in some parts of the world is a one-way stream where the teacher gives and learners receives. Learning should be a dialogue (Thomas), permitting learners to interact and give their opinions.
What should be considered is that the language of instruction plays an active role in the learning process. We would need government to keep this in mind and try to provide more opportunities to include learners that speak a less common language. The gap between governmental school fees and private school fees should be kept as little as possible to make sure the inequality is reduced. In regards to the curriculum, we spoke a lot about adding subjects we find of increasing importance like mental health and would appreciate subjects like life orientation on a general basis. Furthermore, humans need support during the learning process in form of personal connection. School subjects that help when it comes to finding their own learning style and developing their own sense of self. This is only possible when the teacher has the capacity to keep track ofthe student’s development, and therefore we suggest for universities to create more spaces for educational professions and to reduce the number of students per class.
“You can only learn by leaving your comfort zone. Change is a good thing, no matter how scary it may seem.”
Maria del Pilar Suarez de Rolfs originally comes from Peru and has been the Head of the Foreign Languages Department at the “Volkshochschule” in Stuttgart for over 15 years. Our entire program would not be possible without great educators like her, who enable us to connect to people from all over the world by teaching different language courses. But unlike our usual school teachers, she educates adults and seniors and encourages life long learning.
“Our building is called 'Treffpunkt' and it means "meeting point". And that's why all of the people from everywhere meet here."
Maria and the VHS as an experience:
The first thing we noticed when entering the VHS were the endlessly long stairs, crossing each other, connecting the different floors like a floating labyrinth. They show you the possibilities lying ahead of you, which might feel a little intimidating, but also inspires you to grow and improve. Maria, a rather small woman in this big building, might be overlooked on the first glance. But this only reminds us that you can never judge a book by its cover. Her organization of 300 teachers and the 700 courses they offer changes the lives of those who are fortunate enough to enjoy her education. There is a cafeteria and a childcare center on the first floor, which enables parents to take time for themselves and to take a lesson without having to worry about their kids. The entire building is filled with special rooms, for example a big kitchen for cooking classes, a pottery studio, a computer room for excel and media courses and a theater hall for acting and dancing lessons.The VHS feels like a playground for adults who are keen to learn more and to educate themselves. You can pick and choose from their courses, climb the stairs of your educational journey and connect to people from different cultural backgrounds, ages and social circles.
Former pupil at Uplands. Board member at Uplands Preparatory School & College.
Mrs Mabuza gave us some history about Uplands and her time there as a pupil in the 1980s. We also learned more about the developments of the school and how things are currently, and the plans for the future. We also hear more of her personal opinions on the education system.
Funfact: Marcia attended Uplands and she currently has four children of her own at Uplands.
“Why can’t we let our kids have the opportunity to do what they love? We want our kids to leave school as critical thinkers.“
FUTURE VISIONS’ REFLECTION
by Cyril and Patrick
Highlights: Uplands is a private school and what we could almost call a dream school in terms of the facilities they have. From the classes to the sports facilities and accommodation (boarding houses) for boarding students.
The support for students could not be higher in Uplands. A system that can be seen in only few schools around the world, namely the tutor system of which I (Patrick) was lucky enough to also experience in my school (Germany). Something we also feel could be of benefit to all learners around the world is educators focusing on learners emotional wellbeing.
The way they value diversity and inclusion in the school also stands out for us as we too have seen the impact of cultural exchanges and learning from each other’s differences in such a short space of time in the Future Visions program. It was amazing to see the variety of options they have in extra-curriculum activities, and we see this as a way of motivation to learners, although it would have been so great to get more insight on how these activities benefit the learners’ education.
Lowlights: Even with all the good things we’ve mentioned above, it makes us sad that only kids from better backgrounds can afford to study at Uplands. It makes us wonder if a kid from a poor background should not also benefit by having the same access to all the good things mentioned in the section above.
Interview with Gugu Mhaule at Sinani on Friday, 24 March 2023. Gugu Mhaule is a proud mother of 2 and has been a community field worker, caring for the needs of vulnerable kids and orphans, for more than 20years. She then started working for Sinani 4 years after it was established. She now works with at least 4 of the people she was supporting nearly 20 years back. She loves her job with all whole heart.
Askham and Zethu’s reflection:
Gugu Mhaule has a very personal connection with children. We could see that the moment she walked in, the kids screamed with joy. Gugu’s special connection with the children is rather a calling. She understands each and every child’s well-being and it’s safe to say she knows all the kids who come to Sinani. Gugu Mhaule is a God-fearing woman and she loves working with kids at an early age because she wants them to grow up knowing God.
“Establishing and maintaining stable relationships between parents, students and teachers can contribute to quality education.”
Gugu Mhaule believes that the first thing that could contribute to quality education is the well-being of the student. That is why she maintains stable relationships with the student’s family by regularly paying house visits, to ensure that the home situation of the student improves. If not, she lends a helping hand. She continued to say that parent and teacher support is also the most important aspect to contribute to a student’s academic success.
Overall, parental support is essential as it leads to a positive well-being of a student and teacher’s support will lead to quality education for the student.
"Learning to play, play while learning". Education through gaming at the Centre for Arts and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe where Alexandra Hermann works as a curator. Alexandra told us about her profession, her compassion for gaming and her educational path.
The Centre of Arts brings people together who are interested in arts and media as well as people who go there to educate themselves while having a nice time. At first we were totally overwhelmed by the different impressions, which were floating around us; moving pictures on big screens, strange sounds from different directions and things you usually wont find in a normal museum. Our visit at the ZKM showed us that art depends on ones perspective and that this point of view is changing throughout our entire lives.
Learning to play, play while learning!
Usually most parents get worried when they think about education whilst their kids are indoors playing video games. The multimedia exhibition in the Centre of Arts and Media in Karlsruhe however, taught us that gaming is a lot more than just entertainment. Alexandra is an inspiring young woman, who found a way to combine her passion for gaming, her creativity and her interest in communication with others through her profession as a curator. She invests her time in telling stories in different ways. Some find it playful & mind blowing and others see it as a tool to pass time. Alexandra Hermann's work serves a purpose to educate in manner that is easily accessible to everyone.
“We need more teachers!“ this is the opinon of Mr. Mpendulo Ginidza who works at Boschrand Primary School. It’s a governmental school with non-mandatory low school fees. Our interview partner is a 7th grade teacher for Siswathi and Life Orientation.
Reflection Katharina: “I am a teacher 24/7“. This really underlines the teachers’ passion at this institution. Although teachers have to deal with a lot of challenges, they are extremely dedicated and motivated. While walking through the school we get to know that the class size is from 35 up to 60 pupils per class.
But how can these pupils get individually supported? The most important thing is talking to the students and asking them about their feelings and needs. Moreover the teachers try to interact with the pupils’ parents to investigate their social backgrounds and living conditions. With this knowledge, it is easier to work directly with the students in combination with parents, social workers, police, etc. This takes a lot of time next to teaching itself. Even in the evenings, these teachers are the contact person for many kids. Referring to a preceding conversation between the Future Visions team and the teaching stuff, another teacher mentioned: “You have to know that I am not only a teacher for the children. I am also a Mom and Dad for some. I want to be a person they can contact in every situation. Often their background is not easy. They could have lost their parent or get pregnant very early in life.Therefore, most important key is communication. The more you know about the students circumstances, the better you can help them. “ To sum it up: teachers do a great job in an intense work environment and display great passion. It is very hard to care for so many students at once. Linked to Mr. Mpendulo Ginindzas wish of a 15-students class, we found a similar challenge in Germany. Although the class size is not as big, there are too many learners and too little teachers. In summary, that means that “We need more teachers!”
Reflection Ronja: Hearing one of the female 2nd grade teachers speak about her profession as a calling and how she was enthusiastically being a parent for those who lost their family was really moving. Also, hearing one of the male teachers speak about his job as kind of a second option made me think about two things: how much of the so-called social jobs / care work positions are still mostly done by women and linked to that, how much social recognition, visible through pay and/or a sense of proudly speaking about your profession, is tied to jobs satisfaction and success in the education sector. It made me think about Germany, where, the younger the child and the more of social and care education you have in relation to topic-related knowledge improvement, the less social recognition and pay there is. All in all, it made me want to go out and ask people: think about what really shaped you as a person! Was it while learning about Schrödinger’s cat or by feeling a sense of belonging through hugs and your mother (whether by birth or chosen) telling you she loves you?
By Lindelwa and Patrick
Angelina is a tour guide at the ZKM Stuttgart (Centre for Art and Media) - a cultural institution offering exhibitions and events, conducting research and producing cultural educational programs.
Reflection
We visited the ZKM Center for Art and Media and we immediately realized that gaming can change the future, while preserving the past.The ZKM exhibits the oldest Pac-Man machine which is now hard to find, except in museums. The setting at the ZKM enhances learning through play and we both felt excited for future generations. In the interview we had with Angelina, she expressed how gaming can change kids who are not interested in learning, as they are willing to challenge the way they think and learn. Because of boring teachers, Patricks' learning experiences were not always the best. However, gaming could change all of that. We feel that the quality of every person’s education, not only kids, should improve. Why not go the easy way and have fun while learning? "Life is like a video game, you never know what’s on the next level" resonated with our whole experience from the visit at the ZKM Center for Art and Media and the interview we had with Angelina.
Thabang Chiloane (in the blue shirt) works in Law Enforcement Conservation at Kruger National Park. In her job, she deals with poachers and ensures that wildlife at Kruger National Park is protected optimally. She explained: „Conservation is close to my heart. Conservation is life to me.“
Nikisha Singh (in the flower dress) works as a curator in the Scientific Service Center of Kruger National Park. She is responsible for collecting, examining and archiving specimen of animals and plants in the park. To her, perseverance and passion are key in her career as well as life.
„If there is a flow of passion, the facilitation is going to flow, knowledge is going to flow.“
Reflection by Larissa & Maren
Thabang Chiloane and Nikisha Singh both work at the Scientific Service Center of Kruger National Park. Whereas Thabang works in law enforcement conservation, Nikisha is a curator in the herbarium and museum, mainly working in the examination of specimen. We interviewed both ladies together and gathered different perspectives on their jobs at the research hub. When reflecting upon education, Thabang mentions that it is important to the human being as a whole, since education shapes our way of thinking. When being asked about an advice to pass on to others, Thabang explains with a smile on her face, to keep asking yourself why you do this, then you will eventually conquer everything. Her personal motivation to work at Kruger National Park is to contribute to conservation and combat poachers. To Nikisha, education comes in different forms. For her, the main keys to succeed in career as well as in life are passion and perseverance. With sparkling eyes, Nikisha explains: „Keep going until you see the light at the end of the tunnel because it will be worth it. Let the fire of passion be burning inside you forever.“
As the interviewers, we were impressed by the genuine love and vigour that Thabang and Nikisha have for their jobs.
Zhane Beck works for the ticketing department at Graskop Gorge. She joined the organisation in 2018, one year after it started operating and has been with the organisation to date. “I meet different people each day which is every interesting for me because I get to learn a lot from our clients.”
Reflection
Zhane attended high school at Wem Bushbuckridge and completed Matric in 2015. Thereafter, she decided to travel while deciding on which career path to follow. One year after her traveling, Zhane relocated back home where she was then employed by Graskop Gorge. South Africa has a high rate of youth unemployment, most organisations are never willing to give people the opportunity to train within their field of interest. Young people are now losing the interest of furthering their studies because most of them still fall under the statistics of unemployment, whether qualified/ educated or not. What is noteworty is thta without any experience and tertiary education, the Gorge trusted her with the skills she had. After chatting with Zhane we realized that if employers from South Africa can be willing to employ young people, this would decrease the unemployment rate and encourage more people to study further. We also realized that communication skills (soft skills like kindness) and English speaking skills are important skills that a person needs to have if they want to learn more and connect with people from all over the world, as English can be used as a common language amongst people.
Sara is an arts teacher, currently located in stuttgart, and the owner of a place which is called „Kulturkiosk“ (cultural kiosk). She is also a freelancer who works for museums and other places. Her passion is bringing people together, to learn about each other, about life and art.
Interview-reflection: We did not even start the interview when Sara filled the room with her energy and made me fill pages and pages on my notebook.
She is, I think, one of the most honest people I've ever met before. She openly spoke about the fact that even though she does a lot and did achieve a lot, she is still not happy with herself. „The devil is dancing in the head“. This spoke to me because I used to do a happiness course and they talked about the same thing she taught us: happiness is nothing related to money, or business, but is more off connected to framing, gratitude and health. That was the first lesson she taught us. Afterwards she talked about how she loves to bring people together, how in her cultural kiosk people with completely different backgrounds come together to just exist and educate one another, from drag queens to ordinary students, to 'Louis Vitton shoppers' and even prostitutes. She reflected critically on our German education system, how she thinks that it is wrong to divide students at a certain point. In addition to that, Sara said that for somebody to learn properly, you need to feel comfortable and safe and she wishes there were more places to express individuality and to bring a bit of nature inside the classroom. She thinks grading is a stupid tool because it keeps people from trying out new things and puts humans in a place of comparison, whereas at least in arts there is no right or wrong and that you can be creative in many different ways.
Regarding her role in all of this, she would love to function more as a coach so she could give feedback without grading, because grades can demotivate her students. She talked about the importance of curiosity, about not being afraid to say something stupid and to go into the world and into communicational situations with an open mind. She also talked about accepting the fact that one probably knows less than one thinks, and how important it is to have places where these special encounters can actually happen. Places, where truly everybody, regardless of gender, age, social status or economic situation is welcomed.
Byline: Ronja Pröllochs
What I liked about Sara most is that she is very passionate about art and she really wants to encourage young people to be creative. She thinks everybody is creative and that every little drawing a young child makes is considered art. Sara is more into coaching than grading. She thinks people are afraid to try out different art works, because they think they might fail or that their work is not good enough in comparison to the rest. She wants art to be fun and to be enjoyed by everyone who have never had the opportunity to be creative or to experience some aspects of artworks.
Byline: Askham Mashego
„How important it is to have places [...] where truly everybody, regardless of gender, age, social status or economic situation is welcomed.“
For our visit at Kruger National Park, we were joined by the tourist guide Trevor Zungeni. He told us about his work with different types of visitor groups and how it impacts on education. For example he mentioned that different approaches are needed to adapt to learners.
Reflection by Larissa & Maren
When linking his job as a tourist guide to education, Trevor Zungeni mentioned the importance of different educational institutions teaching preservation of species and wildlife, as well as using nature and its resources sustainably.
Furthermore, he explains that research about biodiversity is being conducted in the park. Putting theoretical knowledge into practice is a crucial part for successful learning to Trevor. Concerning education in general, he stresses the aspect of taking knowledge back to the home community in order to share it and empower the people around you. Trevor’s goal as a tour guide is to give visitors a memorable experience and inspire them to learn more about conservation and nature.
He also reflected upon the different learning approaches depending on the visitor type. To Trevor, adapting to his clients needs is key. To us as interviewers, this concept Trevor mentioned was especially interesting – during the Covid pandemic, online safaris were offered to enable people all over the world to experience a game drive from home.
Trevor also reflected upon the concept of the Kruger National Park in an ambivalent way – on the one hand, it is a big employer and tourist magnet in the area, however, animals are confined in their movements through the fences around the park.
To sum up, Trevor explains that his job has taught him a lot about patience, dealing with different people from different backgrounds.
Tessa studied Art Education at the State Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart Germany. The State Academy of Fine Arts is an Institution of Higher Education that offers various art and design professions and programs.
Reflection by Lerato Shabalala
I was afforded the opportunity to interview Ms. Tessa Schmidt who is studying at State Academy of Fine Arts. Through the interview, I understood that an art educator develops students’ interests and abilities for creative expression in visual terms, using skills and techniques of artistic expression consistent with school guidelines. The role of the educator is to also develop an aesthetic understanding and appreciation; to discover and develop the talents of students in different art field. The kind of education offered at the academy is liberating as the students are not limited and we saw this through Tessa’s degree. Her passion and profession are offered as a professional degree, not only is she studying something she is passionate about, but a degree will come out of it, and she will be a professional educator after completing her studies.
The environment at the Art Academy screams “You can be whatever you want to be” and their classrooms are unconfined which allows students to be liberated in their art education. Quality education for me starts with being afforded the autonomy to study what you want to study, without being constrained by the “courses / programs” the institution offers. Tessa could choose a degree that is closely related to her passion and what she wants to become, as the institution offers both her passion and profession as a degree. Moreover, access to education is equitable and standard which gave me the impression that the education offered at the institution will promote lifelong learning.
“You can be whatever you want to be!”
Mr Cleopas Maseko, manager of an NGO in Nkomazi called Thembalethu, takes us through quality education and the role Thembalethu plays in addressing the social injustices faced in Nkomazi. “The best gift you can give to someone is to be a positive role model.” Mr Cleopas Maseko.
Thembalethu is an NGO that was established in 1999 and it has a mission of providing support, information, and skills to help alleviate problems faced by vulnerable and poor children. Within Thembalethu are different programs that offer academic support, skills for self development, awareness of chronic diseases and the provision of information as well as treatment for these different diseases (e.g. HIV/Aids). Additionally, the NGO educates people about ways of prevention and ways of living a sustainable and healthy life even after being infected with the disease.
Reflection by Ronja
At first, I was very inspired by Mr Masekos' mission to be there for the most vulnerable and he definitely taught me a lot about the most pressing issues and solutions. Afterwards though, I realized that some of Thembalethus' rules are more strict than I thought and some of their methods are far from how I would operate. And this made me think: how much compromising do you need to do when you do a very hard and sometimes unthankful job, where you are subjected to so much injustice everyday? Do you need more structure, and more rules because you have a free-to-all access for services?
Thomas Putze is one of the many talented artists of Container City. In this space, artists converge for the love of art, using natural resources to create different art pieces to inspire people.
Reflection By Zethu
Quality education means having access to opportunities that will not only be informative, but will also force you out of your comfort zone because that is where an individual's growth lies. Thomas shared that one should put oneself "out there" by reaching out to different people, finding inspiration and being willing to learn, because some opportunities are not given to us, we have to seek them out.
The most important thing I noted is that the road to success will have twists and turns. However, through these challenges, the artist in you will rise as you seek alternative ways to get where you want to be. This perspective was inspired by a statement Thomas made: “I always have a plan but it is always going wrong”. It is therefore safe to say that failure is not meant to stop us, it is meant to help us learn and grow.
Thomas also said that art can not be taught, which I found interesting because art is a registered school subject, which means it is taught, right? In this case he mentioned that he doesn't teach his students, he gives them a structure and takes them to the forest and mountains so they can discover their inspiration. He finds his creative spark in a non-structured environment around him, which fascinates me.
A lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga. She’s an author of a children’s book and an activist for the Ndebele culture, heritage and language.
“People actually express themselves better when they can write and learn better in their language. “ Dr Bhuda
For more information on the University, please visit www.ump.ac.za
According to Dr Bhuda, language, culture and heritage are equally important to quality education as they promote life long learning for all. These pillars are what we consider to be the backbone of identity and expression, therefore enhancing accessibility and excellence. Language as a medium of communication and teaching helps learners feel more included within an institution and a community.
Youri, 24 year old educator at Kindervilla, a bilingual kindergarten in Stuttgart, Germany.
REFLECTIONS
As a calm young man in a female dominated field, Youri told us all about his work and challenges in a country (Germany) that is big on culture, arts and language. As a bilingual kindergarten educator, he opened up about his views on how education is a holistic sum of human development.Yuri told us about his stereotypical childhood experiences (e.g. gender biases) as he explained how these have influenced the type of educator he is today. Youri shared his dreams for an improved quality of education in Germany and the world as a global community. We were impressed by how he lit up with smiles when he started talking about "his little kids" and his relationship with them. He pleads for more partnerships with parents and government to improve the quality of education.
One thing worth noting was the way he talked about the psychological pillar of education. He said "Make fun with your friends and teachers. Make jokes with your peers". This was enough for us to see how he teaches young children to be consciously aware of their surroundings and the people around them. The concept of having fun while learning from a young age was extremely interesting to us.
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