Newsletters

KET Teacher Training – Welcomes a New Bursary Partner.

Obtaining a formal ECD preschool teachers' qualification in Knysna, has been out of reach of most young teachers due to the formidable challenges this brings. Significant obstacles include having to travel to neighbouring towns, and as many of these teachers are the only caregivers at a preschool, this also means taking time away from the Preschool and having to pay a stand in teacher, this has been extremely difficult and very costly.

Recognising this, and on the back of existing training programmes KET sought for many years to be able to offer quality SETA registered NQF ECD training locally.
By putting in place a series of strategic partnerships, and a strong team on the ground, KET launched our first round of formal ECD training in July 2016. The training is run at the KET training centre, which has been upgraded to be a complete resource centre.
The student teachers work through a nationally certified curriculum and have onsite support in the form of the resource centre, training materials, and one on one coaching, translation, and assistance from the KET Education facilitators.

The cost of SETA registered training is another significant factor which inhibits teachers from obtaining formal qualifications. Most of the teachers rely on incomes from their own preschools, which serve a community where most parents cannot afford to pay towards their children's schooling. This leaves these teachers earning very little and affording additional fees for studies is just not possible.

As far as possible, financial assistance is sought by KET through social entrepreneurs, corporate and sponsored bursary funds. We are very proud to welcome on board a new bursary funder, Rotary Club Northampton West.
This grant initiated following a Rotarians visit to Knysna and witnessing first-hand the quality of work being done by The Knysna Education Trust.
With the correct qualifications a young teacher can provide the children in her care with the necessary lessons they need to THRIVE and not just survive. For children to be ready for formal schooling their preschool years are the place essential lessons are learned, without these lessons – children are at risk of not reaching their full potential and falling behind in the later schooling years.

With Support such as these bursaries, KET can lay the foundations for well qualified and competent teachers which will ultimately be able to support children on every level and provide them the essential building blocks they need to thrive and become successful Adults.

We are extremely grateful to all the members and Rotarians from The Rotary Club of Northampton West who were instrumental in seeing this grant realised, and look forward to sharing the success stories of the chosen candidates in the future.

Published: 28/11/2018

Newsletter - March 2018

The first term has flown by and we have lots of news.

KET ‘s primary vision is to support the protection, care and development of young children. Currently the trust supports 76 affiliated preschools in the greater Knysna, Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay communities. Implementing the necessary programmes, skills development, on site coaching and mentoring to capacitate educators to deliver quality preschool education, and ensure children achieve school readiness... This is done in a safe and stimulating environment and KET remains the only organisation in the area that focuses exclusively on early childhood development (ECD).

The KET Edu-facilitators attended a week of Stellar Training in Grahamstown during this term and will be sharing their knowledge with our local teachers. Our valuable volunteers have been assisting us with quality assurance when they visit our pre-schools, playing a vital role in monitoring ECD Programmes.

Our Teacher Training Facility is now in full swing and currently has 4 groups of students attending form training. We recently presented POWER OF PLAY workshops which were very well received.

Extensive research has shown that a quality preschool education is one of the most significant factors ensuring the growth of a successful and productive nation.

Our Model Pre-school has just been completed in Khayelethu South. This model preschool aligns with the National Development plan and allows for students to do their practical training in a registered model preschool by 2019.

With the New Year came a whole new group of 4-5 year old children as part of our Intensive Intervention Program (IIP). There are 4 new sites in our group and all the teachers – new and old are very happy to be part of this project. More than 400 children in 20 different sites all born in 2013 will be screened to determine their Grade R readiness. We have screened 3 quarters of the children and are working hard to be finished by the end of March. Therapy groups should start at the beginning of the second term. A recent visit from the DSD and sister pilot site, The Learning Initiative from Cape Town went very well and they were full of praise for the work being done on this vital project.

With your endorsement and support we can continue to ensure that the young children of the greater Knysna area are given the best possible start in formal schooling.

Regards from The KET Team

Published: 22/03/2018

June 2018 Newsletter

A great second term was had at KET and we have lots of great news to share.

Our FET student teachers are doing well. They have had First Aid Training, which is required to make our course internationally recognised. They also had a Drama Games Workshop, with Larnie Groves, which is always well received by our students. Students covered puppet making, storytelling, science and nature table presentation, and had a lively debate lecture around the “Nature versus Nurture” (The nature versus nurture debate involves whether human behaviour is determined by the environment, either prenatal or during a person's life).

Our occupational therapists, who are part of the IIP team (Intensive Intervention Programme) are visiting the pre-schools and doing wonderful work in the therapy groups. This term they focused on fine motor skills, counting and sorting, colours and shapes, and my body. These vital lessons are taught through drawing, sensory play and role playing exercises.

The parent training evenings have been extremely well attended and there has been much excitement around the inclusion of the “CareUp” mobile phone application, which is being shared with all of our parents. This app is designed to encourage and motivate parents, with simple ideas to help develop their child to achieve their full potential and be school ready. 

KET has been appointed as the approved service provider tasked with the registration of ECD centres in our area. There are currently 128 ECD facilities that will need to be registered, a big job, but one which has significant long term benefits around the health and safety of the young children attending these preschools. We are very happy to report that 9 centres have been approved for registration this quarter including our very own KET model pre-school, The Learning Tree. 

There are currently 280 children on the ACE (Adopt a child’s education) programme, and thanks to the loyal support of our kind donors these young children are able to attend preschool where they previously would not have been able to. There is an on-going drive towards increasing these numbers annually. The only way to tackle the alarming national literacy and numeracy statistics is to teach these vital lessons to pre-schoolers. The ACE Programme continues to be a top priority for us.

To further assist with the Literacy and Numeracy development of the young learners we serve, the FONIX literacy and NUMICON mathematics programmes are implemented daily in 75 preschools in our area. These programmes tackle the essential skill of learning to read and count, in a fun and interactive way – Play is after all the best way for children to learn.

We remain humbled by the dedication of our preschool teachers who despite scares resources, trying conditions and a lack of fee paying parents, still strive every day to make the preschool years count, for every child in our community. WE salute them!

Regards from the KET team.

Published: 16/06/2018

Newsletter - December 2017

Warm Festive greeting to everyone. Another busy year at the Knysna Education Trust is coming to a close. We are extremely fortunate to report, that while all in our town were affected in some way by the devastating fires in June, it was a miracle that no preschools suffered infrastructure damage.

We continue to support the teachers, children and friends who suffered in this terrible tragedy.

IIP Programme:

KET was selected to participate in a Pilot Project initiated by the Department of Social Development to determine School readiness in children aged 4-5 in 20 selected ECD sites.
507 children were screened to determine the extent of their developmental level. Target groups were identified and the team of occupational therapists and teachers facilitate 2 x 45-minute therapy sessions per week. These specialised interventions to correct specific developmental delays, and address developmental delays in areas such as fine and gross motor skills, emotional development, spatial awareness and basic literacy and mathematics acquisition. The group are re-screened following the round of therapy sessions, to ensure progress in all milestones.
The programme will continue for a further 2 years, and the overreaching benefits hope to address the plight of children dropping out during formal schooling, and children are able to start their schooling career ready and able to cope with the demands of formal schooling.

Skills Development:

On-going in-centre training, as well as workshops allows teachers from affiliated centres to strengthen their capacity and classroom skills, ultimately a confident teacher creates positive learning environments.
Workshops held this year include Classroom Safety and Management, Grade R readiness and assessment, Storytelling, Puppet making and Barriers to Learning.

Feeding Schemes:

Without proper nutrition a child’s brain cannot grow and learn. KET currently supports 17 ECD centres with feeding schemes. For the majority of children in the disadvantaged communities the meal received at school is the only meal for the day. KET works alongside cooks and the ongoing partnerships with feeding NPO e’Pap ensures all these hungry minds also enjoy full tummies.

Fundraising:

This remains a challenge in today’s economic times. Our donor base continues to grow, and loyal donors both locally and internationally provide constant support. KET uses 3 local fundraising events to generate further funds, these events are a great success and are growing in popularity as well as income.

Adopt a Child’s Education (ACE):

For the many young children unable to attend preschool due to their family’s dire financial situation this is an opportunity to stay at school. The ACE programme allows funders to sponsor these young children and ensure they are able to attend preschool in these their most formative years. The programme currently supports 23 children and our sincere thanks to our ACE Sponsors, together we are changing these children’s lives one child at a time.

FET Graduation:

KET continues to improve the quality of teaching learning and development of young children through ongoing teacher training and skills development. The Formal training component has seen 10 Students teachers graduate their Level 5 diploma, and a further 10 students graduate their LEVEL 4 diplomas. We salute these dedicated students for their hard work and achieved their qualifications. We know they will make a significant difference in the lives of the young children they will teach.

We would like to thank all of our loyal supporters, volunteers, sponsors and funders. Your help remains the catalyst allowing KET to make a positive change in the lives of the many children in our community .

We wish you all a happy festive season and a prosperous New Year!

Published: 27/11/2017