On Thursday, 3 September, Aberdeen Primary School was announced as the first Full-Service School in the Graaff-Reinet Education District at a workshop presented by Andre Bouwer of the Directorate of Inclusive Education under the auspices of the Department of Education.
The aim of the workshop was to introduce educators, stakeholders and community members to the concept of Inclusive Education through the conversion of an existing primary school to a Full-Service School (FSS) which is defined as "a mainstream school that provides quality education by accommodating all learners in an equitable manner striving to achieve access, equity, quality and social justice".
The FSS concept was launched in 2001 when the Department of Education proposed a policy entitled Education White Paper – 6 whereby strategies were outlined for addressing disparities in the provision of education for learners with specific barriers such as physical disabilities, socio-economic issues and infrastructure and curriculum obstacles.
The conversion of Aberdeen Primary School into a FSS is not without its own obstacles. Currently classified as a Quintile 3 School (no-fee school), Aberdeen Primary receives all its funding from the Department of Education. This means that all monies received are strictly controlled and may only be used in terms of departmental guidelines and structures. Accordingly, there are no additional funds available for additional educators, support staff, educational equipment or even the re-establishment of the library.
Given these constraints, the school has approached members of the community with a view to devoting one hour per week to alleviate the burden on the teachers by engaging in more concentrated learning with children across the educational spectrum. Special needs children will receive more focused attention in areas of difficulty, while gifted children will be provided with more challenging activities to ensure sustained stimulation and interest.
Members of the Aberdeen community who have already given their undertaking to assist with additional classes are: Professor O Meyers, Mr G Botha, Mrs P Marx, Pastor Jonas, Mrs S Jankovich, Mr N Jankovich, Mrs S Wood and Ramsay McCaull and Ernest Rajcumar of Mediaworks.
Aberdeen Primary School has taken on the responsibility of becoming a Model Inclusive School, serving as an example for other schools to follow. The success or failure of this project depends to a large extent on community involvement, so if any member of the Aberdeen community would like to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative, please contact the school on 049-846-0031.
The aim of the workshop was to introduce educators, stakeholders and community members to the concept of Inclusive Education through the conversion of an existing primary school to a Full-Service School (FSS) which is defined as "a mainstream school that provides quality education by accommodating all learners in an equitable manner striving to achieve access, equity, quality and social justice".
The FSS concept was launched in 2001 when the Department of Education proposed a policy entitled Education White Paper – 6 whereby strategies were outlined for addressing disparities in the provision of education for learners with specific barriers such as physical disabilities, socio-economic issues and infrastructure and curriculum obstacles.
The conversion of Aberdeen Primary School into a FSS is not without its own obstacles. Currently classified as a Quintile 3 School (no-fee school), Aberdeen Primary receives all its funding from the Department of Education. This means that all monies received are strictly controlled and may only be used in terms of departmental guidelines and structures. Accordingly, there are no additional funds available for additional educators, support staff, educational equipment or even the re-establishment of the library.
Given these constraints, the school has approached members of the community with a view to devoting one hour per week to alleviate the burden on the teachers by engaging in more concentrated learning with children across the educational spectrum. Special needs children will receive more focused attention in areas of difficulty, while gifted children will be provided with more challenging activities to ensure sustained stimulation and interest.
Members of the Aberdeen community who have already given their undertaking to assist with additional classes are: Professor O Meyers, Mr G Botha, Mrs P Marx, Pastor Jonas, Mrs S Jankovich, Mr N Jankovich, Mrs S Wood and Ramsay McCaull and Ernest Rajcumar of Mediaworks.
Aberdeen Primary School has taken on the responsibility of becoming a Model Inclusive School, serving as an example for other schools to follow. The success or failure of this project depends to a large extent on community involvement, so if any member of the Aberdeen community would like to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative, please contact the school on 049-846-0031.
Article By: Samantha Jankovich