One of our goals if for our student teachers to be able to read English and have a basic ability to communicate in English. This is unfortunate, but with 11 official languages and English the language in which most educational material is written in, we feel this to be a critical componenet of their training.

We find that by the time the student teachers finish their training, their English has improved. We also choose trainers who can communicate in two to three African languages (excluding English), so that they can train the students in their own language or in a language they understand well. This means the students can really discuss and wrestle with the new information and learning they are challenged with.

Challenges in helping students to implement their new learning

... and it is a challenge! Our student teachers are all working in children’s centres already, and a few have some ECD training, but all of them are, at the start of our involvement, carefully assessed and very few were previously implementing what they might theoretically know.

The reasons for this are probably multi-faceted...

1. The student teachers did not understand what they have been taught, and the standards of previous assessments were very low
2. They did not have the materials to provide good, emotionally and socially suitable learning environments environment for the children in their centres
3. They found the move from "knowledge" to "implementing the knowledge" very difficult or impossible without support, supervision and help. I have found over and over again that the student teachers may know that something should be done, but not why it should be done and how to do it. Once the "why" is supplied, and links are made between the knowledge and the "doing", one sees a shift in quite a short time
4. The student teachers did not feel motivated to do anything differently, as they were not expected to, or would gain nothing from doing things differently. Most of us as humans tend to take the "path of least work", unless we can see a clear benefit to doing things differently

Doing things differently takes courage and support – that is what we aim to provide.

We hope that student teachers begin to see the difference in their centres (following make-over work), and in the happiness, enthusiasm and general development of the children. The children become more affectionate and well behaved, their faces get brighter and the teachers start finding their work more fulfilling and interesting.