Quality Education Must Be Accessible To Everyone

Quality Education Must students, Theo Ketchum, a member of the town’s governing board, says students in the school have “the core support that Be Accessible To Everyone others did not have. I put my head on the block. They are going to do well.” Ketchum’s belief is what drives Priscilla. “ (My family) believes that I can Children have the greatest control do better than what other members of the family have done. And I want of the outcomes of their lives. to prove to them I can do better and I will do better,” she said. Nonetheless, Priscilla has had quite a difficult living situation. By Jon Haywood we were in school, we did not have She lives with her 64-year

Rugby is a man’s game. access to all of this kind of stuff.” old grandmother and 65-year-old

At least that is the thought around Olifant, a soft-spoken member of grandfather, three cousins and her most of the world. But do not let the Ikwezi Youth Development Forum, younger brother. Her grandfather suffers Klipplaat Secondary School student completed secondary school in 2002. from a serious bladder condition. Priscilla Grootboom hear that. The community of Klipplaat did not have Both grandparents work jobs in town,

Every day after school, Priscilla spends Internet access until 2009, many years but how much longer her grandfather hours practicing with her rugby club. She later than developed in South Africa. will be able to continue worries her. says women’s rugby is not as intense as Now with Internet access and Priscilla’s mother is a domestic worker men’s rugby, but she loves it because of the added attention from the government, in Port Elizabeth, and her father works opportunities to advance to various levels. Olifant said students simply need to in George. She admits it is challenging

That drive and determination has work harder to complete school. living away from her parents. propelled her to compete in the Eastern Even with attention from community “There are things you want to talk with Cape Conference for rugby — not an easy and government programs, many learners your parents about that you can’t talk feat for a secondary school student. in rural South Africa face a host of about with your grandparents,” she said.

Priscilla has used that same challenges. Many suffer from extreme Priscilla’s cousin, 18-year-old Zane, is drive to become one of Klipplaat poverty and some have to manage only in Grade 10. He is repeating Grade 10 Secondary’s top students. households after parents have died. for the second year in a row. She believes

A year before our visit, every student in In most small communities in South he is struggling in school because he is still the school’s senior class had failed the trial Africa, households suffer from food suffering from the death of his mother. exam, the exam necessary to graduate and insecurity (the lack of the right types of Her grandparents see her as a sort of move on to schools beyond the high school food) and the displacement of individual guiding light for her cousins. With Zane level. The trial exam and the control test members of families, according to a 2011 struggling through high school and three lead to the National Senior Certificate. study by the journal “Ecology and Society.” much younger children grappling with

The NSC “not only signifies the “Addressing hunger and food scarcity will living away from their parents, Priscilla culmination of 12 years of formal schooling, increase students’ attention span. Hungry feels responsibility to help the cousins. but the NSC examination is one of the key kids don’t concentrate,” said Levack. Priscilla plans to attend university barometers to indicate the state of health Despite the serious issues facing the soon with the help of scholarships. of the education system,” Of the young people in according to South Africa’s Grade 12, Ketchum said, “For Department of Basic Education. the first time in a few years,

Bradley Levack, a I’m feeling really confidant.” developmental practitioner for The concern for the children the municipality of Ikwezi, and families of Klipplaat is which includes Klipplaat, evident with everyone you talk said, “Education can only be to. Community members and improved if the government volunteers seriously want better delivers on its mandate to outcomes for the children. make quality education Levack believes the children accessible to everyone.” must understand that they,

The seriousness of students ultimately, have the greatest and parents is essential, control over the outcomes said Johannes Olifant, a of their lives and the people community organizer. of their community.

“They have access to Photo by Chris Allen The architecture of Port Elizabeth is diverse and not always well maintained. The “My hope is for them to everything,” he said. “When same can be said for the educational system of South Africa. understand love,” he said.