THE THREE R’S AT ANY AGE
THE THREE R’S AT ANY AGE
“Fifty years ago I left school. And when I came to her class I learned most of the things I didn’t know… how to read and write, even colouring and doing sums. I love my ma’am”. An elderly learner’s eyes light up as she speaks of her teacher at RAFAL, an ABET programme in Durban.
THE THREE R’S AT ANY AGE
Every now and then a success story gives us hope and becomes a bright spot in a dark landscape. A closer look at the landscape around Newlands West in Durban shows that there is one bright person consistently responsible for many sparks of hope in the area.
Roslyn Narain is a teacher at New West Secondary School in Durban. An impas- sioned onslaught on all social ills faced by her learners was ignited one day when one of her learners tragically attempted suicide. That day she resolved to become a beacon of hope within her community by starting various projects.
The project which caught our attention and got Roslyn awarded the 2010 Stars in Education award is RAFAL, Roslyn’s Acad- emy for Adult Learners. It’s a literacy pro-
gramme for thirty-five adult learners estab- lished in early 2010. Narain was nominated by one of her high school students, Shiksha Lutchmipersadh who lovingly compiled a detailed portfolio of her teacher’s achieve- ments in running the ABET centre.
RAFAL teaches reading, writing and math- ematics to adult learners who are between the ages of 32 and 79. Of those in the class, 95 % of them have never been to school. She also introduces non academic aspects when she feels the need, knowing that the students need to develop holistically and not just academically.
The elderly members of her class are clear- ly moved by Roslyn’s respect of them as learners and encouragement of their right to learn no matter what age they are.
“I will teach my grand children how to be with a teacher. I have the best and I love her a lot”, says one RAFAL learner. “When we are down she picks us up”, says another warmly.
Roslyn’s response to this community need has been from many different angles. She
set up a sports day to bridge a racial gap be- tween communities of Inanda and Phoenix. After equipping herself with an HIV/AIDS care and counselling certificate she orga- nized an HIV awareness week, offers coun- selling and writes an HIV/Aids education column in a daily paper. She’s also worked on campaigns against crime in her area.
Argo is delighted to recognize the “bright spot” that is the RAFAL project and award yet another teacher initiating groundbreak- ing community projects. We also acknowl- edge that the most lasting impact is the leg- acy of students who now see the elderly as a bright and valuable part of their landscape.
WHY EDUCATE THE OLDER GENERATION?
This question is answered in one home- work session.
Child A returns home to work alongside a parent who is involved and educated.
Child B returns home to work alone while their illiterate parent or grand parent sits
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helpless and often less able to read or write than even 6 year olds.
DO YOU FEEL THERE’S A LINK BETWEEN ADULT AND CHILD LITERACY?
A. Strongly disagree. A child should do homework independently
B. Disagree. A child should get school support from their teacher
C. Agree. There must be some frustration if a child can’t ask questions and get help at home.
D. Strongly agree. Parental involvement and education is an essential part of teaching a child.
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CHAPTER 9 | EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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CHAPTER 9 | EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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