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> VHUTSHILO MOUNTAIN SCHOOL (VMS) > VMS NewsFlash
VMS NewsFlash
We'll be highlighting Vhutshilo Mountain School news, activities and events through out the year.
Check back often for updates!
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A forced change in directionVhutshilo Mountain School...
It is with great sadness and immense frustration, that we must tell you that we are forced to downscale our "school of life" next year. Thanks to the total inefficiency, incompetence and lack of interest from the Dept of Education (DoE), the members of the School Board decided at an emergency meeting held on Saturday, that we will close the Grade 1, 2 and 3 classes, and will revert back to being an Early Childhood Development Centre. Although we were eventually registered with the DoE. in January this year, they only informed us in June; this despite all the follow up phone calls we had made since the beginning of the year. Consequently, we missed the DoE's April budget deadline, so will only be included in their 2012/2013. At the same time we learned that newly registered schools have to function for a year before qualifying for a subsidy. This translates to mean that we could only expect to actually receive some cash around October 2013! (The DoE is so dysfunctional that subsidies that should be awarded in April are rarely received until October. In the mean time, the schools have to run on credit.. for which they pay through the nose).
For the past 12 months we have not known from one month to the other whether we will have salaries, money to transport the children, or food for the two meals every day... Somehow, thanks to prayers, positive thought and ongoing donations from Vhutshilo's many friends, we have managed to keep going in spite of this. As we have received our registration number we have informed the DoE that we are "suspending" these grades so that maybe one day in the future VMS can then revert back to being a Foundation Phase school.
The ECD programme will be divided into 3 classes: toddlers up to 3 years, pre-school classes up to 4 years and a Grade R (readiness) class up to 5 years, when they will then graduate to Grade 1 at their local schools. We received funding for a portion of this programme from the G.M. Murray Family trust, but we will have to search for more sponsors for individual children. Because our colleague, Teacher Constance, will be off for an indeterminate time following her stroke, there is fortunately no need to retrench anyone.
Thanks to Oxfam, the rapidly expanding Outreach programme will not be affected. In the next proposal we want to request funding for extra schooling on Saturday mornings and during the school holidays. It has become clear that a large percentage of HIV+ children, orphans, and those suffering from the post traumatic stress of being raped (of which there are increasingly more and more cases) are facing huge challenges in their schools: If they fail a grade they are automatically promoted to the next grade the following year because the schools want a high pass rate. The classes are horrifically overcrowded (+/- 60 learners per educator, no Assistant), and with little (if any) counselling, these youngsters suffer constant taunting from their peers, have a high absentee record, and very little interest in learning subjects which are taught in their second language, English!! As most of the children (and the majority of the teachers) do not speak the language, we feel that these extra lessons, with strong emphasis on English, will not only improve their grades, but should also do wonders for their self esteem and confidence.
My 6 year long battle with the DoE has finally come to an end, leaving me with no sense of accomplishment. Instead, a feeling of abject despair at the scant regard the custodians of our beautiful rainbow nation have for the children we are all meant to cherish. As for their total lack of recognition and support for the many small NPO's trying so desperately to make a difference... well, we can only hope that they will realise our value sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, we can only thank you for your on-going support, both moral and financial!
The VMS Team
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