2. Literature Review
2.8 Supports From Teachers In South African And Other African Countries
Orphaned learners have become a plight in schools due to the pandemic of AIDS. However, as this problem arise in schools, teachers are facing a challenge to support and care for orphaned learners, which adding a role of a parent or a social worker to teachers. Supporting orphaned learners has not been easy for teachers before since their skills were limited to teaching only. Nonetheless, the government have considered training for teachers that will equip them with skills on how to support and care for orphaned learners in the following aspect: physical, psychological and emotional. According to Harrison, Smith and Meyer (2000) the Department of Education has recognised the problem of the increasing rates of orphans in schools. Hence that, there have been programmes which trains teachers on basis of life skills and how to care and support the increasing rates of orphans in schools. These programmes also included how to organise Health Advisory Committee (HAC) and teachers were trained in basic counselling, to acquire skills in lay counselling and be able to identify and support orphaned learners who need counselling services.
In Lesotho, it is reported that they have recruited to train teachers to be lay counsellors; each school has one teacher who is trained as a lay counsellor (UNICEF Lesotho, 2011). This model of lay counselling includes a holistic approach which focuses on providing physical, emotional, spiritual and social support in order to improve schooling outcomes for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. In addressing these dimensions, the programme is centred on providing grief and bereavement counselling; promoting positive social interaction; providing practical necessities, such as school uniforms, fees and stationery and providing spiritual support to help children cope with the grief. The programme is implemented by school teachers, who are first trained by supporting organizations such as Midlands Aids Caring Organization (MACO).
One study (Thembela, 2007) focuses on evaluation of psychosocial support that is available for orphaned learners affected by HIV/AIDS. According to Foster (2001), the question that is raised is that, beside food and education received in school, what kind of support is provided for orphaned learners in schools? (Foster, 2001). Adams (2005) findings suggest that there are existing programmes that support orphans in their communities and schools. These programmes according to the author include organisations such as non-governmental organisation (NGO), Community- Based Organization (CBO) and Faith-Based Provision (FBO) that access funding to purchase food and clothing particularly school uniform for orphaned learners (UNAIDS, 2008). These programmes are assumed to be assisting orphaned
Nosipho Mshengu Page 27 learners at school especially the non-governmental organisation which focus on food schemes. Hence, the role of the teacher in this case is to identify the orphaned learners in those schools who are susceptible to the support available. The Department of Education in KwaZulu- Natal assists learners by establishing psychological guidance and special education services (Goba & Wood, 2011). This service provides support to learners who experience challenges academically, socially and emotionally (Kinghorn, Schierhout, & Johnson, 2001).
But due to the overload of work for teachers, the department decided to also employ specialists such as psychologist and social worker in schools to assist learners, exclusively orphaned learners (Hayes, 1979). This further explains that orphaned learners are well taken care of when it comes to basic needs and also taken care of in a school environment. Schools are believed to have a major role in supporting orphans and vulnerable children and children who are affected and infected by HIV and AIDS. Some schools go beyond providing educational facilities to providing psychosocial needs (Hargreaves, Morison, Kim, 2008, 56).
This also proves that orphans are not neglected in our community more especially in their surrounding schools (Louw, Edwards & Orr, 2001).
The Department of Education is also introducing programmes which are specifically designed to assist educators on how to care and support for orphaned learners in schools, i. e, counselling skills and the ability to provide psychosocial intervention before the child is referred to educational psychologist. In Western Cape Life Orientation, teachers were recruited to attend the programmes provided by the Department of Education, like lay counselling. In each school selected, educators were trained in lay counselling skills to be able to identify and support both learners and colleagues who need counselling services (Hayes, 1979: Goba & Wood, 2011). The programme also required trained teachers to handpick other educators in their schools and train them to form a support system within the school (Goba &
Wood, 2011).
Noddings (1996) reported that teachers have come up with ways to consider orphaned learners and their situations, for example, instead of punishing the orphaned learner for submitting homework late, teachers decided to be flexible about it and accept late submission of home-works and accommodate them if they miss classes regularly. This proves that regardless of the challenges encountered by teachers in supporting learners, they have established a strategy that will support the learners more especially orphaned learners. School principal showed their flexibility by allowing late payment of school fees. This implementation in the school served as encouragement mode to orphaned learners to attend school regularly, since there is not left behind or left out.
Nosipho Mshengu Page 28 It is recorded that teachers go an extra mile to support orphaned learners in their schools and also reported that even though teachers are assumed to be poorly paid, some teachers still use their own salary to directly support some of the orphaned learners who are needy in their class (Ladson-Billings, 1994). Effective teachers are available in schools that are able to take care of the learner’s welfare without expecting anything in return. Supportive teachers have been reported to pay for the school fees for orphaned and vulnerable learners. They have also been said to offer orphans and vulnerable learner’s school material such as pens, exercise books, uniforms and other clothing as well as covering medical costs and transport back home for those feeling unwell. Furthermore, teachers also have been implementing gardening to support the learners that do not have food to eat (Bhana, Morrel, Epstein & Moletsane, 2006).
This indicates that orphaned learners receive material or physical support from teachers in school.
According to Goba and Wood (2011), it is revealed that even though the Department of Education has designed workshop that will equip teachers on how to care and support orphaned and vulnerable learners in schools. Other teachers reported to experience a challenge in supporting orphaned learners. First, teachers are struggling to translate knowledge to action.
Goba and Wood (2011) discovered that teachers reported that they could not implement what they learnt in the workshops organised by the Department of Education. They further stated that the workshop was very informative and enlightening. It also aid in improving their attitude and also equipped them with skills of supporting and dealing with orphans and vulnerable children in school. Others reported that although the training improve and increased their knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS, but that does necessary mean they are comfortable of helping learners infected or affected by HIV/AIDS (Peltzer &
Promtussananon, 2003, 25). However, other few teachers confirmed that they are willing to help the orphaned learners in spite of what their colleagues assumes (Goba & Wood, 2011, 35).
Department of education (basic) programme provide necessary support to teachers so that they can support distressed children in the following elements (South Africa Department of Education, 2000a):
• In teacher training, emphasize that an individual teacher cannot do everything or solve all the children’s problems.
• Whenever possible, provide regular breaks for teachers.
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• Regularly rotate responsibility among teachers, so that one or a few teachers do not bear the burden of all that needs to be done.
• Schedule staff meetings and in-service training
• Encourage peer support
• Provide opportunities for teachers to improve their skills, which in turn will increase their sense of professionalism, self-esteem and motivation.
2.9 CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY SUPPORTIVE TEACHERS IN SOUTH