TEACH Ambassadors set SA schools up for success

Educating tomorrow’s leaders is an investment every country should make to safeguard its future. It is this insight that has driven TEACH South Africa to send its ambassadors to schools around the country to teach English, Life Sciences, Mathematics and Life Orientation.

Fumana Secondary School on Johannesburg’s East Rand is just one of the schools to benefit from the TEACH Ambassadors programme.

Fumana’s principal, Mr Mkhwanazi, has nothing but praise for the TEACH Ambassadors, saying their presence has created unity among teachers at the school.

“Teachers now plan their lessons together, especially in the Mathematics department. As a result, there is an exchange of skills,” says Mkhwanazi. “They visit one another and from this they gain a lot and get to identify differences in learners.”

Mkhwanazi adds that the TEACH Ambassadors have developed great relationships with the learners, which has enabled them to “understand learners better and find different ways of dealing with them”.

One of the exciting events to take place at Fumana recently – an event facilitated by TEACH Ambassador Brandon Raubenheimer – was a visit from Irvine Williams, an English specialist from the US Embassy.

According to Mkhwanazi, Williams addressed learners during assembly before meeting the deputy principal to discuss feeding schemes, resources, teacher development and textbook donations, among other issues.

As a result of Williams’ visit, the school is planning a number of projects. To begin with, Fumana is looking to set up a clothes bank, where used clothes will be donated or sold to learners, says Mkhwanazi. The school is also considering buying sewing machines, which community members will use to mend used clothes for needy learners.