5.2 Presentation and discussion of data
5.2.4 Collaboration with other stakeholders in implementing Inclusive Education policy
5.2.4.3 Strengthening collaboration with the community
The notion of collaboration or partnerships between schools and their communities has been written about quite extensively. In the context of this study, collaboration was not only limited to the NGOs and various departments on government, but it extended to the
101 community members. The data indicated that in the communities where the schools were located were a number of retired professionals such as teachers, nurses and others. Some were not parents to the learners in the schools but they had something to offer. These people had vast knowledge and experience in their respective fields. Their experiences made them knowledgeable in some areas. If schools used their expertise, they might become great assets to the school. One teacher acknowledged the involvement of retired members of community.
This is what she had to say:
We have an old lady who was once a teacher and she retired. She is in our community. She is still capable to teach, we use her to assist in teaching especially where we have learners struggling on their learning. Using her skills and experience, most learners are assisted (Ms Molly, teacher from Lwandle Primary School).
Members of the community have skills that can assist schools in dealing with challenges.
There were learners who had challenges in their learning but have other skills. Community members could assist these learners by developing them on handwork and other things that the learner is capable of.
In our community we have people who weave ilala and some do other craft works. We invite them at school to help learners develop their skills in such art work. This helps learners to be equipped with skills so that even if she/he leaves the school, she/he has something to do to earn living. Community members enjoy the opportunity given to them (Ms Judith, Principal of Impala Primary School).
Schools in the communities were ruled by traditional leadership. Building partnership with traditional authorities can benefit the schools. These structures are in a position to give support to the schools in different forms. The data showed that traditional leaders ensured that there was protection of the school and sometimes, they attended to the needs of the schools. This was confirmed by the principal of Lilly Rose Primary School when she
102 mentioned that the electrification of their school was done by the traditional authority through the community levy. The school was located along the sea where tourists visited the place and were charged for the visits. Some of that money was used to support schools. This is what she said:
We are working together with the traditional authority. We attend meetings in the community and report the progress of the school and challenges we as a school have.
We had our school electrified and classrooms built (Ms Dawn, the Principal of Lilly Rose Primary School).
Comments made by the principal of Lilly Rose Primary School did not differ from what was emerging at Impala Primary School. Impala Primary School was located near a game reserve that was visited by tourists. These tourists have contributions that they make to the school.
This is what was mentioned by the principal of Impala Primary School:
The school is next to one of game reserves that are visited by many tourists. They sometimes come to our school and help our learners with games and make some donations like clothing and finances. Even if they are in their countries, we keep in touch and more funds are sent to school (Ms Judith, Principal of Impala Primary School).
From the discussion above, one can conclude that for schools to have the policy implemented, they needed support from everyone who could give because teachers and SMTs were not specialists in all fields. This became more where there were problems that they could not solve due to the lack expertise. They needed to get professionals on that area.
Therefore, the collaboration of everyone on all the levels is highly important. Haihambo (2010) affirms this when referring to Bronfenbrenner‟s ecological systems theory where the theory explains differences in the individual‟s knowledge, skills and abilities and the role of support system to guide and structure the individual. Therefore, collaboration of the various systems is regarded as important for the implementation of Inclusive Education policy.
103 5.2.4 Parent- school partnership
Partnership between school and parents make the implementation of a policy a success where communities are involved in school activities. These activities include parents helping in the maintenance of school buildings. Skilled parents used to build ramps to give learners with physical disabilities easy access to the classrooms. One school principal mentioned that in the provision of material at school, they have parents who come to school and assist by building ramps for learners on wheelchairs.
From our community there are skilled parents who come and assist at school by building ramps for learners on wheelchairs. These ramps start from the school gate where some learners are dropped from cars that transport them to school (Mr King, Principal of Lwandle Primary School).
The partnership of school and parents was also mentioned when parents in the SGB helped develop policies that guided a number of activities. This is what the principal of Lilly Rose said:
Involving the community in the school’s programmes helps us as the school to work in line with what happens in the community through the information raised by parents in the School Governing Bodies (SGB) (Ms Dawn, Principal of Lilly Rose Primary School).
Partnership of schools with parents creates good atmosphere where parents see the need to assist at school. In another school, it was indicated that parents planted grass in the school yard to reduce sandy areas.
I am a convenor in Environmental Club at school. We work together with Nature Conservation Services and KZN-Wildlife. We encourage school greening and
104 prevention of soil erosion. We involve parents where they come and plant grass on sandy areas. This assists in learners using crutches and wheelchairs to access the whole school (Ms Elephant, HOD from Impala Primary School).
Another school highlighted the involvement of parents in Poverty Alleviation Programme that benefited parents and community of the school. Parents used their skills to grow vegetable gardens and make food available and other things to sell. The school bought vegetables from them and parents used that money to support their families like buying food and providing learner school needs.
We have parents who grow vegetable gardens. Since schools have nutrition programme, we as a school organise with the school supplier to buy vegetables from local gardens in supplying vegetables at school. We find this benefiting parent because they use that money to support their families and meet their children school needs (Ms Amazon, the HOD from Lilly Rose Primary School).
Local youth who had passed matric but were not attending tertiary institutions and were computer literate were used to come and support learners in the support centre. This was supported by Ms Judith, Principal of Impala Primary School. This is what she had to say:
We have youth in our community. After passing matric they stay at home because they do not have money to further their studies, we use them to assist in the school where they help struggling learners in the support centre.
The development of ILST in schools where members of the community were part of this team formed an important part in supporting the policy. Help from the community facilitated
105 the process of meeting the needs of some of their learners. Schools could not do everything on their own. It was for that reason that Ms Molly, teacher from Lwandle Primary School mentioned involvement of parents in developing school garden for the support of learners who are needy.
As a chairperson of ILST, we have a school vegetable garden where we work with parents to have vegetables produced. These vegetables are given to learners who are orphans and some vulnerable to eat at home. Funds are raised to buy maize meal to add to that for learners. We invite parents or guardians of these learners to come and collect food.
The comments by the teacher highlight the importance of parent-school partnership for the implementation of the policy. Parents drawn to school felt being part of the school and they engaged themselves in the activities done at school. Kimu (2012) argued that schools are part of society and community in which they belong. Kim (2012) further raised the issue of the school as social sub- system which cannot function in isolation. According to Bronfenbrenner (1994) learning is a social process affected by forces at many levels including government policies and the society.