Mc Weiler Primary School is taking the lead in promoting inclusive education for children in Alexandra.
This after the school was chosen to pilot a 2011 programme on inclusive education by the Provincial Department of Education. Realogile Secondary School also started the same programme recently.
The programme embraces schoolchildren’s diversity in culture, race, and gender, and seeks to eradicate discrimination based on learning barriers.
The school’s teachers were trained for the programme as learner support educators in 2011 by the Department of Education and the University of Johannesburg. The training enables them to provide remedial support, adapt the curriculum to relate with the children, conduct referral strategies workshops for their colleagues, and to conduct placements for children exiting to secondary schools.
The co-ordinator of the programme, Khombisile Khumalo said the initiative, which operates from a library, is attended by 400 children from Grade R to Grade 2.
“It includes the use of appropriate books on specific disabilities, storytelling and picture books, computer-based devices, audio tapes, games, puzzles and gym balls to improve the muscles for those who are physically challenged.”
Khumalo added that, as a result the programme, the school has witnessed improvements in the children’s literacy levels, interest in reading and in searching for information in diverse learning areas. “The library is now extensively used by each class for an hour once a week, but it is small and cannot cope with the demand. We require support to enlarge it so that bigger groups can access it at any one time,” she said.
The library, which operates from a container, along with the books and equipment were donated by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, JP Morgan, George Bizos and Breadline Africa.
Details: Mc Weiler Primary School, 011 882 8928.
