Mthini Primary School’s Inspiring Journey with Siyakwazi’s School Readiness Programme

Siyakwazi began partnering with Mthini Primary School in 2020, making it the second school in the KwaXolo tribal authority to benefit from our support. This collaboration marked a significant milestone for Siyakwazi, as over the years Mthini Primary has consistently shown a high need for focused intervention, with a substantial number of children at risk of falling behind.

In 2023, the need was clear once again, with the highest percentage of children identified as Red Flag in Grade R and the second highest in Grade 1. At the start of the year, 79 children were identified as at risk of falling behind, so implementing catch-up activities was a major undertaking. To tackle this challenge, we assigned two dedicated Siyasizas, Penny and Msizi. They worked diligently, guiding small groups of children through catch-up sessions and engaging them in focused activities. Mthini Primary provided a separate classroom for these sessions, creating an ideal learning environment.

Miss Xolo, a Grade 1 teacher, shared her excitement: “We have two learners who were not interested in learning, but they come back with so much energy and excitement from the catch-up group.”

Other teachers also noticed the children’s enthusiasm for working with puzzles. Mrs Malishe, another Grade 1 teacher and Head of Department, noted: “When the children saw Penny and Msizi with the puzzles, they would crowd around the tables with excitement. The Siyasizas would organise the children into smaller groups and make sure everyone had a turn. It was very well organised.”

The impact of Siyakwazi’s support has extended beyond the students. Teachers at Mthini have also benefited from the programme. “As a teacher, I am learning from Siyakwazi,” adds Mrs Malishe. “Watching the Siyasizas I can see ‘oh I need to improve on this or I can implement that thing’. One of our challenges is that we have a large number of children in each class and the curriculum is very broad. There is a lot of work to get through in the year and so we are unable to support children one-on-one.”

Despite these challenges, Mthini Primary has made impressive strides. By the end of 2023, they achieved an 80% catch-up rate in Grade R and an 88% catch-up rate in Grade 1, resulting in 65 children who had caught up on their learning objectives. These successes are a testament to the hard work of Mthini’s educators and the unwavering support from Siyakwazi’s Siyasizas.

In the last six months, Siyakwazi has also added two more primary schools to our School Readiness Programme within KwaXolo. Siyakwazi’s area manager Nosipho and her team now support 12 schools and ECD centres in KwaXolo, with Mthini Primary School standing out as a shining example of success. 

Nosipho remembers the early days of getting schools in KwaXolo onboard. She says: “In the beginning, when we first came to KwaXolo, teachers didn’t fully understand our role, and some felt a bit judged or threatened by our presence in the classroom. It was an unexpected hurdle, especially since Siyakwazi hadn’t faced this issue in KwaNzimakwe. But when teachers shared their struggles with getting parents involved, we saw an opportunity to show that we were here to make their lives easier. And at Mthini Primary, the transformation has been so exciting!

“Not only are we in classrooms each week, giving dedicated support to children who need additional lessons to reach their learning milestones – we’re in homes too. We are able to visit the very parents teachers have trouble reaching – another challenge given KwaXolo’s size and limited public transport. We encourage parents and guardians to attend school meetings and engage with their children’s teachers. I’m happy to say that we’ve built trust and credibility with both parents and teachers. This collaboration helps us identify children and families who need support and strengthens the support system among home, school, and Siyakwazi, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks.”

We extend our gratitude to Mthini Primary School for their dedication to our programmes and their steadfast commitment to the children in their classrooms. 

For more information on Siyakwazi’s School Readiness Programme, please contact us.