The Jabulani Rural Health Foundation brings hope and a commitment to positive change in realising the right of children with disabilities to access education. “The government is failing thousands of children and young people with disabilities who are being denied their right to inclusive education” Elin Martinez, Human Rights Watch The Jabulani Rural Health Foundation works in Zithulele, a rural village in the Eastern Cape, situated in a former homeland area and in one of the poorest districts in the province. Children with disabilities have very few options for education and rely mostly on hospital based occupational therapists for assessments and referrals to special schools approximately 95km away in Mthatha. No community based outreach services supporting inclusive education existed until Jabulani’s ‘Rural Ability Programme’ and their ‘ECD in the Home…
Our first story celebrating teachers day is from Berdien Tenten, who pays tribute to her daughters teacher, Madri Steyn. "Our little princess Yeva was diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome in November 2014. It was a super difficult task to get a nursery in Paarl that would be excited about her, just as we were, as well as for her future. I had to dress her up and showed her off to about 9 nurseries. One school opened their doors and heart. But the school was not equipped for her situation and with sad hearts we had to leave after a year BUT during this time a nursery school in Paarl, Kinderark Val de Vie, said that they are willing to get educated, trained and open their school doors to…
October is practically here and we are one step ahead by presenting you with our latest newsletter for October! The Full Newsletter can be accessed here. We are excited about our Teachers Celebration Month Campaign during October - for more details click here: Celebrating Inclusive Teaching Campaign Individual Articles can be accessed below: Letting the Sun Shine on All - Effective support for ECD practitioners means effective support for all learners Mind Your Language - Talking about children with disabilities Remarkable Partnerships for Inclusion - Partnerships that extend support to the most marginalised communities Survival of the Fittest - Support for parents through the process of school application Sharing Good Inclusive Practice - Collaborating to support teachers through IESA’s Mini-Symposium How Far Have We come in Providing Support for Teachers? - Investment in teachers is an investment in education outcomes
"With the spotlight being on literacy this month, we realise that for many children, and their caregivers, this can be an extremely difficult time especially when literacy is a struggle and challenge. We, therefore, continue to share some of our past articles as a means of giving guidance and advice when it comes to supporting children who, because of their barriers to learning, struggle with reading and writing. This week's article was written by retired teacher and IESA facilitator, Leatitia Brummer." In our June (2013) newsletter, we discussed the fears and adventures of ‘crying Robyn’, and others who struggled with the transition to big school. However, many big boys and girls cannot cry but find the transition from Foundation phase to Intermediate and Senior phases equally difficult and even more…
Making transitions easier: Leatitia Brummer Despite the teacher’s attempts to console her, Robyn has been crying bitterly since her mother left her at school. The rest of the Grade 1 class does not quite understand her behaviour. Some are laughing and one child is chanting “cry baby”. This makes Robyn cry even louder. The teacher explains to us that Robyn has been crying since the beginning of the year. Even after the crying has stopped she keeps asking when her mother will fetch her. According to the teacher some children are so anxious that it is extremely difficult to get them interested in the activities at school. This prevents them from learning and also distracts the attention of the rest of the class. The principal of Northlake Preparatory School says:…
In the light of applications being given in and most parents having heard back from schools, parents of first-time school-goers will be thinking through preparing their children not only for school but the actual school environment. This is especially difficult if there is a barrier to learning. We therefore take this opportunity to share one of our past articles written by Angela Hutchison, a family counsellor. There’s a big difference between being school-ready and being ready for school. School-readiness covers whether a child has the capabilities to work within the environment we choose for that child, which says little about the child’s inherent capabilities, and a lot about whether he can mould himself sufficiently enough to work within a chosen environment. This is not to say the environment is bad, but more adaptation happens from the child’s side than the environment’s But being…
The Inclusive Schools project in the Motheo District in the Free State has kicked off today! IESA's Robyn Beere and Charlene Petersen began interventions at Khothatso Intermediate school and Mmulakgoro Intermediate School today. These are two of thirty-six schools that IESA in partnership with the Kagiso Shanduka Trust will be introducing to Inclusive Education. Professional Learning Communities will be set up during the process and the improvement of school based support structures will be worked on amongst other things. We are very excited to be participating in this venture. [caption id="attachment_1989" align="alignnone" width="300"] A warm welcome was received by a parent involved in security and welcome at Mmulakgoro Intermediate School in Botshabelo (Motheo District) Free State[/caption]
Want to support a charity that helps people? The MyVillage programme was launched as an extension of the MySchool programme, to provide community-minded individuals the opportunity to support a worthy cause or charity close to their heart. IESA is part of the My School MyVillage program and we value the support that we receive through members swiping their cards at participating retailers each month. Please click here to find out more, add IESA as a beneficiary on your existing MySchool/MyVillage card, or apply for a new card.
Sign Up and become an IESA Member Please join us in becoming part of a growing call for an inclusive education system that puts care and support at the centre of all our schools and early education centres, and allows ALL children to become the best that they can be. We welcome you on board! Join Now!! * indicates required Email Address * Name of Corporate * First Name Last Name Address Address Line 2 City State/Province/Region Postal / Zip Code Country USAAaland IslandsAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua And BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Saint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D'IvoireCroatiaCubaCuracaoCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of the CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJersey (Channel Islands)JordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew…
