Rural school: Relationships are key

Although Catholic schooling deep in the heart of rural South Africa is not without its challenges, its rewards are just as great as CLAIRE MATHIESON discovers.

Top: Sacred Heart principal Frans Fielding believes his school has thrived, despite its rural location, because of the solid relationships formed between the community, teachers and learners.

Located in the Northern Cape, the once copper-rich town of Nababeep is home to a school that provides a solid Catholic-based education to the local rural community.

Sacred Heart Primary School is 108 years old. Nine teachers provide 189 girls and 177 boys with a solid Catholic education under the guidance of Frans Fielding, the school’s principal.

After having taught at Sacred Heart Primary for 29 years, Mr Fielding said he felt the school was unique in his region.

“Our school is very different from other schools, and this is mainly because of our precious Catholic ethos which we treasure and polish through all our endeavours. We honour and live our Catholic faith through our liturgical and para-liturgical celebrations.”

He said some basic traditions are still upheld at the school and help form part of the educational process. “We celebrate the Holy Mass every Friday morning, and this forms part of our weekly assembly. All of our children participate actively during Mass.”

Most of the school’s learners are Catholic, but with almost 25% of the learners from other faiths it was important “we welcome all who are in harmony with our school’s ethos”, Mr Fielding said.

Pastoral care is a key aspect of the teachers’ role at the school. “We particularly commit ourselves to care for our poor children. During first Holy Communion and confirmation we supply some children with clothing in order to make them feel special and to boost their self-esteem”.

Mr Fielding said it was small acts such as these that made his job worthwhile. “I think that I am very privileged to still be here. This is more than just a school to me. This is the place where I have the opportunity to live my biggest dreams and to make a difference in my community.”

That “difference” comes from the close relationships the school endeavours to build. From the teachers’ relationship with the learners to the relationship the school has with the parish council and priest. “We share our materials and resources in order to establish good relationships,” said Mr Fielding.

He considers his staff to be very special. “I have a very good working relationship with my colleagues and they are very supportive.”

Mr Fielding was, for more than a year, the only male among female teachers, but he said this did not deter him from keeping a good attitude. “I try to motivate my staff through my attitude—I am supportive and show my interest in what they do. I make sure that I praise them for doing a good job and I always try to be positive.

I am a very optimistic person and express my faith in God by encouraging them to believe that we will get through difficult times —and we always do.”

Mr Fielding said the close relationships at Sacred Heart have helped deal with the challenges the school faces. “Meeting the individual needs of our children is a very big challenge. We deal with contextual factors such as overcrowded classes and a small staff. Poor parental involvement is another challenge we face.”

He said the early intervention was key. “At the end of February we identify our learners with individual learning needs. We then draw up an intervention programme [with special activities] to accommodate those learners.” Mr Fielding added that some of the school’s parents assist with the necessary skills help by conducting extra classes after school.

“We also create extra opportunities and challenges for our brighter learners, such as Olympiads. When confronted with difficult learning needs, we make use of the inclusive unit of the Department of Education. They have specialists such as psychologists and therapists who come and do the necessary assessments and recommendations”.

Mr Fielding said Sacred Heart makes use of all the resources available to them through the community. This was another reason why strong relationships were so important—they are mutually beneficial.

“Although we are not financially well off, God takes care of us. Some ‘Good Samaritans’ cross our paths, now and then, and provide us with what we need at that moment.”

Mr Fielding said as principal he aims to give the very best to the children of Sacred Heart—despite ill health or hardships that may come his way.

He said the school represented far more than just a job. “I like challenges. I believe that one can just grow through opportunities available to you. I accept all my challenges and know that God will pull me through. There is a saying: ‘When days are dark friends are few.’ But I know that when days are dark God is near”.