DANSAZANIA PROVIDING EDUCATION TO CHILDREN LIVING ON THE STREETS 1. INTRODUCTION: The needs of Street Children are unique in the sense that some of the children did not have Any formal schooling while others dropped out of school at different levels. The dynamics of The Street Child is complex, especially with regard to provision of formal education. To address the specific educational challenges of Street Children is not based on an easy Quick solution. It will need a well-planned, holistic and inter-sectoral approach to be Effective. 2. CURRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO EDUCATION TO CHILDREN LIVING ON THE STREETS, AND OTHER CHILDREN AT RISK (STREET CHILDREN) Work with Street Children can be divided into the following categories: 1. Prevention work 2. Rehabilitation 3. Follow up support Each category presents its own challenges in regard to the education of the young person. Dansazania is offering it services towards the rehabilitation 2.2 REHABILITATION: A three phase model aimed at rehabilitating a young person that is already on The streets, back to his home and community, has been adopted by most organizations Working in this sector. An essential underlying principle is that the young person Comes into the organization of his own accord, and is free to leave should he wish to do so. Phase 1: Dansazania’s Outreach Worker works on the streets, identifying children living there, Forming a relationship with them. We establish the cause for his leaving home and what His family and background is. We offer the street child the opportunity of coming to the shelter and Leaving behind the street life. Depending on a variety of factors, largely depending on the length Of time he has been on the streets, the child may choose to enter into the shelter programme. This phase takes place on the streets. Phase 2: This phase is conducted at a halfway-house, sometimes referred to as a Drop-in centre normally situated in, or very close to the town or city centre. Here the children Will receive food, a place to sleep and wash. Daily activities will be arranged including basic Education classes. The objective here is: * To re-introduce some structure and routine into the life of the child * To assess the education level of the child 1 * to meet the education requirements of the child * To prepare him to be returned to mainstream education if possible * If not possible, to establish other paths for him to follow that would equip Him to provide for himself and a family in the future Notes: 1 the Child act social welfare and social development states that a child may not remain in this phase for longer Than 6 months 2. Children come and go as they please, so numbers and attendances Fluctuate 3. Children of a wide range in ages, education levels, skills and ability etc. Are all mixed together during this phase Phase 3: Once a child has been stabilized, weaned off any substances etc. and it has Been established that he cannot immediately be reunited with his family – and when he has Indicated that he would like to return to school – he is transferred to a third phase shelter This in essence functions as a child and youth care facility. Here the child lives and attends the local school. At the same time, work continues at restoring the family relationships, or assisting the Family to become self-supporting or bringing it to a point where the child can be successfully Returned to their home Notes: 1. the child act, Department of social development, and welfare states that a child may not remain in this phase for longer than 2 years if the shelter is registered as a child and youth care facility. .3 CHALLENGES TO EDUCATION IN EACH PHASE: Phase 1: While living on the streets, children receive no education. The longer they Spend on the streets, the further they get left behind by their peers, and the more out of step They get for their age / grade. This results in it becoming increasingly difficult for the child to Be returned to mainstream education. 4. SUGGESTED MODEL FOR THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION TO STREET CHILDREN: SUGGESTED MODEL Children not living in a Shelter, but live on the Streets Required: Required: Required: • Full Assessment • Full Assessment • Full Assessment • Good prognosis •Dansazania is Taking “school” to the street – We collect the children on the street get them into the different phases as explained above and offer the shelters and outreach workers the facility to send their children to the bridging school and well-being programs held at our learning centre for orphaned and vulnerable children • Learning site for education of these children Uniformed • Bridging Programme • Well trained Educators able to Teach at all levels And able to manage Specific behaviour Problems • Adapted curriculum supplied by the department of education • Resources • Involvement of Different Directorates Within Department of Education, i.e. Curriculum, PGSES, Arts & Culture, Sports & Recreation, Remedial programme BRIDGING PROGRAMME: Start from where they are; build on what they have: Bridging education for street children Where they are A Children living in a shelter with documentation Who can attend neighbouring schools example New Nation school specifically designed to help the shelters but the children must have a form of ID this is a major challenge for the social workers working with the children it is taking too much time and the challengers are overpowering the time factors are compromised and the children are not attending any school during this phase B. On the streets, long-term, with the intention of not entering a shelter or returning Home; C. On the streets, short-term, with mixed feeling about entering a shelter or returning Home; D. In a shelter and not attending school; E. In a shelter, attending school; F Back “home”. Venue for bridging programmes is at Dansazania Melpark sports complex that has a club/school house and two soccer fields’ four tennis courts lots of open space • Different from the space in which children normally sleep or have meals; • With a library Considered as an inclusion of a small “do nothing” room or section for the occasions when a Child rebels disruptively and refuses to do anything – usually the space is seldom Inhabited for long it means our program is working well; • We will need flexible furniture for both interactive and formal learning Rather than huge blocks of learners at desks; • Children have recommended the name for the venue; through voting on those found acceptable. We are self-funded in these programs and it is becoming increasing difficult to offer the children the best they should have There is no bridging school programs for the children living on the streets and many children will benefit from this wonderful program We include all aspect of the well-being of a vulnerable child in the centre and it has been very successful to the shelters/child and youth care facilities and to the children in transit during the family unification process Our results are documented I am enclosing a report of the success rate we have with the Matric child headed household children that attended our Star schools program in 2013 with a 100% pass rate as you will notice We would so like to be in a position of offering these courses to grade 10, 11 and 12 in the future it made a remarkable difference to their grades I am sure you will be aware of the challengers these children have in caring for their siblings and trying to get their grades We have included an education system passed by the basic education department You may ask why the department is not funding such an important basic need for children living and working on the streets My answer is in their own way they are it is complex issue and social development through the social workers are doing their best to get the processes of getting a street child into a system In the transition phase it is essential that we do everything possible to assist them to generate a healthy environment for a needy child I am on the ground with this I have a lot of experience of getting the child to trust us and lead them to a better life We would like to engage with you to help us to help them we can do this with the proposed budget below so if you would like to partner with us in this we would welcome your reply To evaluate the cost effectiveness of the budget the following is an estimate of the costs 30 COMPUTERS 30 PRINTERS 30 MONITORS COLOUR SCREEN INTERNET FULL EARPHONES INSTALLATION 30 FLEXIBLE TABLES AND CHAIRS PARITHION BOARD SOFTWARE COMPLETE TRANSPORT PETROL FOOD UNIFORMS STATIONARY TEACHERS Assessments/therapists TOTAL R824000 for the year Curriculum, PGSES, Arts & Culture, Sports & Recreation, Remedial programme BRIDGING PROGRAMME Our programs are School every weekday from 8am till 4pmDuring the school day we will have all the subjects choices available through the computer software programs each child will have their own work station and will be taught at their own level the children will be assessed with written reports each week and any weakness will be identified immediately and corrected There will be a remedial program as well as a remedial teacher All children will take part in sports programs example Soccer, Netball tennis, dance, fitness and music Children will take part in extra mural activities with other schools integrating in tournaments Children will attend swimming lessons in the summer at the zoo lake swimming pool Children will receive lunch on arrival and a juice Children will be transported back into the shelters
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:06:56 +0000
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