August 3, 2016 - Grey Junior and Kama Primary Schools

August 2, 2016 –  Grey Junior School, Kama Primary School

Today our group visited Grey Junior School and the Kama Primary School.  Grey Junior School is an all boys state school that receives additional monies from student parents that attend the school.  The main school is housed in a building constructed in 1915.   Although technology does not exist in all of the classroom, they did have a computer lab with an interactive white board.  Teacher –student ratio is comparable to CFIES.  Students are encouraged to participate in music and sports programs (i.e.: swimming, squash, cricket, and rugby) and choir and band classes are offered.   The band performed three lovely music pieces for our enjoyment.  The boys seemed very well mannered and diligent in their studies.  Mothers of the students are very involved and play an important part in the students and school programs success.  The library has over 40 mom volunteers!  The headmaster emphasized that parental support played a major role in the academic success of the students. This school housed both white and black students, but it appeared as the majority of students were white.  After leaving Grey we visited Kama Primary, a township school.  Similar to Emafini, the school building was old and in need of paint.  The floors two needed some repair.  One of the fourth grade classes contained over 60 students!  One class was left on their own, as their teacher was absent that day.  Myself and two other teachers taught the students how to "hokey pokey" and we sang and acted out the motions for "head and shoulders."  The students were enthusiastic to interact with us and when it was time for us to leave, they followed us outside the door and dramatically pretended to cry over out departure.  Needless to say, differentiation is all but impossible and much of what students learn is done through rote lessons and copying of lessons in student notebooks.   After visiting both schools, the stark contrast in inequitable education between the South African population and social/racial classes was reinforced.  In spite of the decline and fall of apartheid in 1994, there are still many educational disparities between the races.