Beating the odds in a rural school

Education training in South Africa does not take into account the many rural schools which have multi-grade classes. MDUDUZI QWABE learns how one teacher was able to take her training and make it work in a multi-grade classroom.

When Maria Setlai grew up on Erica farm outside Paul Roux in the Free State, she used to watch her teachers at junior primary managing multi-graded classes and fell in love with the teaching profession. She decided then that this was what she wanted to do with her life.

Last year she was the recipient of an award for Excellence in Teaching Multi-graded Mental Mathematics (Foundation Phase) by Free State University.

Mrs Setlai said that in her formal training as a teacher she didn’t receive training on multi-grade teaching, and found it difficult when she started teaching in 1994 on a farm in the district of Senekal.

The mother of four received her junior primary teaching diploma at Tshiya Education College in Qwa Qwa and joined the staff at Breda Combined Farm School in 2001. She continued her studies at  Free State University with an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE), which she completed in 2005.

Throughout her teaching career she has never taught a mono-grade class. Her experience as a multi-grade teacher has given her invaluable experience.

She believes that if she had to teach a mono-graded class she would excel, as her skill to teach in a multi-grade classroom is more about teaching inclusively than anything else. She also believes that excellent teaching makes an incalculable difference to a child’s schooling experience.

In her life she has seen a lot of farm school learners make a success of their lives, despite hardships at home.

In 2011, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology partnered with the Free State Education Department to identify teachers in schools to be trained in multi-graded teaching. Mrs Setlai was put forward by Breda Combined Farm School and she embraced the opportunity.

During that year she attended a few workshops held at the old Tshiya Education College and had to compile a portfolio of evidence. She was then chosen for assessment and this meant a number of classroom observations by her lecturers.

During the workshops, she learnt how to teach Grades 1-3 concurrently without having any “dead time” for any group.

One of the challenges she experienced was that the workbooks were not written with multi-grade teaching in mind. The problem is then to try and match the lessons of the three classes and teach one topic at the same time.

After completing the programme, Mrs Setlai received the award from Free State University.

Now Mrs Setlai tries to help other teachers in her school and surrounding areas to learn how best to teach in multi-grade classrooms.

She said that the biggest challenge facing learners in rural areas is poverty, which then leads to a number of interrelated disadvantages.

Breda Combined Farm School is not very well resourced in terms of teaching aids, but the principal, Mrs Mofokeng, tries hard in collaboration with her staff to ensure quality education.

It is within this tough environment that Mrs Setlai has learnt to thrive and give of her best.

Asked why she likes to teach the foundation phase, she said that she likes to build on the children’s natural curiosity and eagerness at that age.

Mrs Setlai is a humble person who believes that faith coupled with hard work has enhanced her work throughout the years.

If our education system had more teachers like her, especially in the rural areas, we might turn the tide on rural poverty. Maria Setlai is defying the odds with her excellent work.