CHAPTER 4: CARVING THE FIRST LAYER OF MY MASTERPIECE
4.5 PORTRAIT FOUR: SHAMILLA, THE CONSERVATIVE-NURTURING
TEACHER
Shamilla told the story you are about to read. She is a forty-five-year-old Indian, married woman with two adult sons. She is an SGB-employed, fully qualified teacher at a Q4 school. She has been teaching for 15 years. At the time of the interview, Shamilla was still an SGB-employed teacher. Her greatest desire is to be employed as a permanent, state-paid educator so that she can start building up a pension for retirement. Shamilla comes across as a determined, strong woman who, despite encountering obstacles in life, still perseveres to become a winner.
Figure 4.9 Shamilla’s collage portrait
From Bayside girl to Chatsworth girl
My name is Shamilla. I don’t recall my early childhood, but from what my family told me we used to live in Bayside, an informal fishing community in Clairwood. In Bayside, my father earned a living as a fisherman. As a result of the Group Areas Act, we were forced to relocate to the Indian township of Chatsworth in the 1970s. After moving to Chatsworth, my father started “formal” work because travelling to Bayside from
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Chatsworth to carry on fishing was too expensive. My siblings and I were required to help with housework, get involved in gardening and see to the upkeep of the yard. Our family was not wealthy so employing help was not possible.
I have three siblings, and all three went to school
It was challenging for my parents financially, but my father made sure we went to school and got an education. That was their priority. I have three siblings, and all three went to school. My parents always encouraged us to do well. Academic performance was very important to my family. I enjoyed my school days. Both the primary and high school which I attended was within walking distance of home. The school was neat and tidy. We had desks and chairs. We took care of our furniture. Our teacher made sure we brought in polish to clean and shine our desks. However, we did not have sporting facilities or big halls. The population of the children at both the primary and high schools at that stage was completely Indian. The teachers were also all Indian. We had so much respect for the teachers. When a teacher entered the classroom we had to stand and wait to be greeted.
Whether the teacher was in the classroom or not, we still behaved. If a piece of work was given, it was done. Back then if we were writing an exam, our lunch breaks were used to study. I tried to do my very best at school. I performed well. I was hard working. I knew I could find a good job with a good education. It was difficult being poor. I could not imagine living my whole life struggling.
I got married straight after finishing high school
I did not have the opportunity to go to college or university after matric. I got married straight after finishing high school. I know my husband from my school days. My parents were strict and did not approve of me meeting my husband. So we decided to get married.
I became a housewife and had my children. Financially things were difficult. Everything cost more and the money my husband earned did not meet our expenses. I decided to do something to earn extra cash. First, I tried dressmaking, but it was not for me. I then went into hairdressing. I was building a clientele and had quite a few male clients. But my husband was jealous. He did not want me to touch other men’s hair. I had to abandon this
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choice as I had a good marriage and I didn’t want this to come between us. However, not long after that, my husband lost his job. It was back to living on a shoestring budget. I then decided to do the ECD (Early Childhood Development) course at the ABH (Aryan Benevolent Home). I worked there as an assistant teacher and earned about R300. This was a lifesaver because this helped me pay for my lights and water.
However, my life took a turn for the better when in 2002; I came across an advert for an SGB (school governing body) teacher paying R1000 a month. This was almost three times the salary I had been earning. During the first few years, I also began saving some money for a holiday. Sadly, my husband phoned me one day and said: “I think I am going to get retrenched.” This was a turning point in my life. I took all the money that was being saved for a holiday and decided to further my studies with the hope of becoming a permanent teacher as soon as possible. So for me it was back to school, back to studying. I then enrolled for the NPDE 3 (National Professional Diploma in Education) course. I completed it in two years with distinctions. It was such an achievement because it was very tough working, being a housewife, a mother and also a student. Fifteen years down the line, I am now a fully qualified teacher. However, it is still an uphill battle getting into the system. I only earn R4500 per month as an SGB teacher.
I am currently teaching at the school where I was once a learner
I am currently teaching at the school where I was once a learner. It’s a Q4 school. It’s sad to see the way the school has deteriorated over the years. This year alone, we had two threats of water and lights disconnections. Some classes have holes in the ceilings. Gutters are broken. Classrooms have broken windows. The school cannot fix these as there is no money. During winter, teachers have to ensure the learners in their classes are kept warm.
During summer it is unbearable.
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Figure 4.10 The school where Shamilla is a teacher
We also have learners from the Naickers Farm and the Welbedacht area. These are low- cost RDP homes and the informal wood-and-iron homes. Most people here are unemployed and live in poverty, and therefore don’t have money to pay school fees. On the other hand, we have families from the old original Chatsworth houses. Here we have some lower but mostly middle-income earners. I differentiate between the two groups because the challenges are different. Many of the fee-paying parents from around the school have decided to move their children to more affluent schools in the area. Of those that do remain, only a handful pays the school fees. The problem with this is that if the fee-paying learners’ move away, what is going to happen to the school? This will force the school into bankruptcy.
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Figure 4.11 The community within which Shamilla’s school is situated
The school hit a crisis point in April 2019. As a result of the poor maintenance of the infrastructure, the school condition has deteriorated. Years of neglect to the school buildings due to limited funding have had catastrophic consequences. During the recent flooding in April 2019, the school lost an entire block of classrooms. These classrooms, made of asbestos, had been under strain as a result of termite infestation. Numerous appeals to the department for assistance went unanswered. The flooding in KwaZulu- Natal in April 2019 was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The school has experienced damage that it has no hope of repairing on its own. Being classified Q4 is a travesty as we are not financially able to remedy the situation. The Department of Public Works has not responded to the school’s numerous appeals to make the school safe for the learners and teachers.
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Figure 4.12 The conditions at Shamilla’s school after the April 2019 floods
Interacting with our learners at school
Many of our learners come from impoverished families. We don’t get government funding. We have NGO’s that provide sandwiches. We are not a wealthy school, but we have a breakfast club where we provide porridge every day for the learners. We have a porridge room where learners sit and have their porridge. We noticed that the learners would drink their porridge and leave the cups for the volunteers to wash up. There were times that children threw the porridge in the drains. This wastage would have disappointed our sponsors. I also noticed that the learners would drop their porridge on the floor and expect someone else to clean up. Being part of the breakfast club, I decided to get the learners to clean up after themselves and wash their cups. Our volunteers don’t get any remuneration from the school or the department.
When I was a learner at the school, the school had predominantly Indian teachers and children. This separation was the result of the apartheid system of separate development and segregation of people according to race. However, over time the school was opened to all race groups. It’s good. We also have Indian and Black teachers at our school. I am happy about this because we are not Indian learners and Indian teachers. However, the school and department should have done a workshop to equip us teachers on how to interact with our learners. Not long ago, I scolded a child for not looking at me when I
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was addressing him. I did not know making eye contact with elders was not something that learners from the Black culture do. I am, however, learning as I go along. However, despite the efforts of the teachers to make life better for the learners, we have experienced some discipline-related issues with the learners. When the children misbehave, and I discipline the Indian learners, I may get resistance from the learners and some parents, but it is about discipline issues. However, if I have to discipline the Black learners, then it becomes a race issue. I call the Black teachers to address the learners then. Surprisingly, if the Black teachers discipline them, it’s okay. This situation is becoming bad because the Black learners feel we are weak teachers, and they know we have to call the Black teachers who are not always available. So at times, the learners get away with whatever they do. We then back off. We don’t want to be accused of being racist.
Let me tell you about the hard-working teachers at our school
I can tell you how bad things are at school. But I can also tell you about the hard-working teachers at our school. If a teacher wants something done, the teacher has to take the initiative to do it. The school does not have money, so upkeep of the school has to be done by the teachers. For years we have painted our own classrooms. We have to buy the paint and also pay for the painter. I had to also buy a broom for my class and cleaning supplies. We even dust and clean. We have the choice to either sit back and do nothing, or try to solve the problem, because honestly, the department will not do much. We are a Q4 school, but I feel we are Q2. If it were not for the fundraising our teachers do, the school would have collapsed a long time ago. Our teachers have to be involved in every fundraising effort as our school fees retrieval is also low. This additional duty becomes overwhelming, as fundraising is not a one-off thing but happens throughout the year. We have to raise our funds if we want something, and this becomes overwhelming. No money means that we cannot buy utensils needed for the breakfast room. No money means no school cleaners because the school only qualifies for one cleaner. We only have a handful of people who want to invest in the school.
We have many challenges at school. However, the one thing that keeps me coming to school is the teachers. We help and support each other. The HOD’s have regular meetings to mentor the staff and provide guidance. We have an excellent staff. We always have
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time to laugh a little. We still consider ourselves to be part of a bigger school family. As teachers, we go out to functions. We can call on each other to mentor and assist us in areas that need upliftment. We can talk over lunch or a cup of tea about our challenges at school and get advice.
I love teaching, but teaching can be a thankless job. There are so many duties we have to complete in a single day that at the end of the day we thank God our chores are sorted.
We have too many responsibilities. We have to be a teacher, mother, nurse, policewoman, fireman and counsellor. We have to get involved in the environment and social responsibilities. I think it’s a bit too much with fundraising, seeing to social issues, discipline, and completing so many assessments. But at the end of the day, these are our learners, and I have to do everything to see them succeed. I am a tough cookie with a big heart. I may sink, but I can also swim.
I conclude this story of my life with a poem. This poem encapsulates my life as an Indian woman who has faced tremendous hardships in life but has still emerged victorious. It also highlights my need for financial security. However, it also shows my determination to live my life by my design, because ultimately I am a tough cookie.
My life of twists and tales
Life by design
Out with the old in with the new Twists and tales
Behave!
Out with the old in with the new Ching ching
Behave!
Tough cookie Ching Twists and tales
Tough cookie Life by design.
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