KLEINMOND HIGH SCHOOL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

 

"The lack of a proper high school is part of the problem that creates socials ills (drugs, poaching, crime) in the community."

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A group of stakeholders, representing all the communities in Kleinmond established the Kleinmond Community Forum to, amongst other things, look at some systemic challenges facing the community. It soon became evident that the lack of a proper high school is part of the problem that creates socials ills (drugs, poaching, crime) in the community. Learners must travel long distances to school which make the temptation to dropout even bigger. After many deliberations with the WCED it became evident that Kleinmond will not get a high school on the short term. The WCED has other major challenges with the current influx of learners. We understand the challenge. So, we embarked on a journey to find alternatives and met with people like Philip Jonker (Jakes Gerwel) and Werner Cloete (Calling Centre) We also mobilised a core group of very skilled and knowledgeable people in Kleinmond to assist us.

 

OUR VISION
To establish a collaboration school in Kleinmond on the existing Mthimkhulu campus, previously used by the Boland College and already zoned for educational purposes. The centre belongs to the "Grail Trust" who is very co-operative and willing to let the premises to us with the goal to establish the school.

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MODEL
Three possibilities were investigated:
1. A public school. Due to the relatively low number of
children, it will be difficult to create a workable school of excellence, as the department is tied to certain laws, rules etc.
2. A private school. Due to the inherent poverty of the largest number of parents, this cannot work.
3. Kleinmond fortunately is in the Western Cape where the Collaboration School Model" is creating groundbreaking opportunities for communities and the Dept of Education to jointly create a workable solution.
 

Proposed solution: The school will be managed as a collaboration school” with the “Kogelberg Educational Trust” (KET) and the school management committee taking the responsibilities. The trust is currently in process of being registered. The trust will enter into a long-term rental agreement with the "Grail Trust" to rent the premises and enter into a "management agreement" with the WCED to create and manage the school.

 

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The reasons we believe this is a workable, long-term sustainable solution are are as follows:
STRENGTHS
Kleinmond is largely a community of retired people, a large number which are retired, qualified teachers that would be willing to play a role in the school. We already have a database of 15 such teachers, covering a variety of subjects and skills.

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Kleinmond is largely a community of retired people, a large number which are retired, qualified teachers that would be willing to play a role in the school. We already have a database of 15 such teachers, covering a variety of subjects and skills. As a "Collaboration school," the management will enter service agreements with these teachers whereby they will be paid per hour spent teaching. These teachers will not be required to spend the whole day at school, but will teach and go home when they are not teaching. For this reason they will not be paid during school holidays.
 

Mthimkhulu currently has seven classrooms that can be used immediately. There is also an equipped computer room with 30 computers, that will be used to teach Computer Application Techniques to ALL children. The centre is also within easy walking distance from home for the majority of learners. There is a "Catering centre" where a restaurant can be created to assist in teaching "Hospitaly studies" to children. This can also be used to cook meals if we can get the Dept to agree to a "feeding scheme" for these children at the school. This can also allow for afternoon care where children can do their homework at school before going home. There is also a very large building that will be changed into "workshops" where the different skills will be taught. It will be a parallel medium no fees school. We will go into a rental agreement with the Grail Trust for a long-term rental agreement re Mthimkhulu.

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We plan to run three "bands" of education at the school. (This still needs to be refined)
 

BAND 1:
The standard "CAPS" curriculum for grades 8 and 9, choosing subjects in Grade 10. For this band, Circular 1 of 2018 will be applied where children may choose to take two skills in place of Creative Arts, Technology or EMS. In grade 8 we will try and give children exposure to as many skills as possible, so that they can make an informed decision by the time they get to grade 9. In all of these choices, the school will consult the parents of each child. We will teach three home languages: Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English. Only English and Afrikaans will be taught on a FAL basis. Children will be allowed to take TWO home languages in place of FAL, but only if they took that in primary school.

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BAND 2:

The standard CAPS curriculum, but add technical subjects such as Engineering Graphics and Design, and Computer technology.

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BAND 3:
Children already 15 years or older, that have been identified, or children that are identified in collaboration with the Psychologist of the WCED, will be taught the "TO" curriculum of languages, mathematics, life orientation, ( 13,5 hours per week) and skills development ( 13,5 hours per week). This will lead to an NQF1 certificate after 4 years of training.

 

The school week for ALL children will be extended by 1 hour to 28,5 hours per week to allow for 1 hour of Computer Application Techniques teaching. Our estimate is that we will have 30 children in an Afrikaans class, 30 in an English class and 30 children in the skills band, which will probably be Afrikaans.

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The skills that will be taught at the school, based on economic possibilities in Kleinmond area will be:
1. Agriculture and Nature Conservation
2. Early Childhood development
3. Civil technology (Woodwork, plumbing, bricklaying and plastering)
4. Health Care (This will also include hairdressing for taking care of old people)
5. Consumer studies (Food production, cooking, needlework)
6. Hospitality studies
7. Marine Biology (This still needs to be cleared with the WCED, it may have to be included at a different level of the bands)
8. Mechanical Technology (Metal Welding, Motor Mechanic)
9. Electrical technology

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Contact us if you would like to be part of Kleinmond's growth and development
hvt@kaapkerk.co.za / (021) 957 7100