E DUCAT I O N HAPPILY SINGING ON THE BUS HOME
WELCOME DANCE AND SINGING
Visiting a different school world A
t the end of 2005, Herne Hill School, an independent nursery and pre-prep school in South-East London, formed an allegiance with Khanya Primary School, a state school in a township in Cape Town. The aim has been to form lasting links which not only support this desperately poor South African school but also provide benefits to Herne Hill’s children such as making them more appreciative of the material comfort they enjoy and aware of the world they live in.
average class size is over 50!) with few resources and no assistance. By comparison, Herne Hill School has a similar number of staff who educate six times fewer pupils! The children often share seats and have to take turns to do the activities. Yet the atmosphere is full of energy and the children loved meeting Jane and Dominik and asked them many questions about Herne Hill School and London. The children proudly demonstrated their singing and dancing skills. This is an area in which they excel. Their natural rhythm and movement is amazing! The teachers also love to sing, even punctuating staff meetings with a song and dancing to it.
The relationship was initiated with the strong backing of Herne Hill’s parent association, ‘The Friends’ of Herne Hill School. Over the years, they have raised substantial funds for Khanya School, enabling funding for a variety of projects from buying footballs to supporting the school At the end of the day all the children are bussed back to their choir to participate in regional township homes. Jane and DOMINIK AND JANE DISPLAYING THEIR SEAWEED HERNE HILL competitions. To strengthen the Dominik travelled on the buses SCHOOL ART ON THE BEACHES OF CAPE TOWN link, Herne Hill School’s head to see for themselves the endless teacher and its director, Jane Beales tracts of shanty homes in which and Dominik Magyar, travelled the children live, often without to Cape Town earlier this year. toilets and almost always without showers. The bus ride During their five day visit, Jane was a happy, noisy affair as and Dominik got a chance the children sang all the way. to understand more fully the way this large and busy school South Africa is a beautiful runs. Khanya School has about country and Jane and Dominik 1,400 pupils whose mother came back determined to do tongue is Xhosa. They come all they can to help the smiling from extremely poor families, children of Khanya School with about three quarters of overcome the hardships in their parents being unemployed their lives and most of all send and living off minimal state the important message to the support. Only 40 staff manage hardworking staff that people this large number of pupils (the do support them and care. 4 APRIL2013