Teachers to reflect school’s enrolment
I was pleased to read Dr Clifford van Wyk’s letter in the issue of Die Hoorn of 16 November 2017.
I share with him the need to appoint teachers to our schools that reflect the school’s enrolment.
One of my grandchildren is about to begin his education career. The school is a child friendly environment with a record that glows in the dark. My only problem is that he will see no teachers that is those who are other than white.
On his arrival at the school’s “getting to know you day”, one of the staff members asked him if he spoke Xhosa at home or was he a Zulu! His mother had to join the conversation and inform the teacher that as an adopted child he spoke both English and Afrikaans. We need to stop making assumptions about people based upon their skin colour.
I would like to see Tutu’s rainbow nation reflected in all our schools. Let all children see that people are all the same – skilled teachers can raise self esteem, be rolemodels for the future when it comes to so many aspects of life.
We underestimate the needs to fully represent the structure of the society served by our schools.
On searching the net I accessed three of the Western Cape’s well-known schools. I was thrilled to find that all three of those Cape Town schools had a staff that reflected the enrolment of the school, from a headmaster down to a number of young teacher interns. The way to go! Why is this not the case in our town?
– William Gould, Oudtshoorn
Opgewonde oor dié behuising
Groot was my verbasing en ook opwinding om die inligting oor behuising vir persone met gestremdhede en bejaardes in Die Hoorn van 26 Oktober te sien; soos geplaas deur die Oudtshoorn Munisipaliteit.
In my 15 jaar-diens as gesondheidswerker het ek seker honderde briewe (ek het ongelukkig nie telling gehou nie) geskryf, namens ouers, aan die munisipaliteit om te motiveer hoekom hulle as ouers van ’n kind met ’n gestremdheid in aanmerking moet kom vir prioriteitsbehuising. Met elke navraag van die ouer aan die munisipaliteit moes hulle hoor dat hulle aansoek verlore gegaan het en moes hulle van voor af begin.
Hierdie kinders benodig almal versorging 24 uur van die dag, is afhanklik van ’n rolstoel, dra doeke en benodig medikasie wat teen ’n spesiale temperatuur gestoor moet word. Dus is lopende water en elektrisiteit ’n noodsaaklikheid.
Die nodige aanpassings om die huis toeganklik te maak vir rolstoele moet reeds in die beplanningsfase geskied. Beloftes is deur die jare gemaak wat ook nooit nagekom is nie.
Van hierdie kinders is reeds oorlede, maar ek hoop werklik dat die munisipaliteit hierdie keer hulle belofte en verantwoordelikheid gaan nakom aan families wat werklik is nood is vir behuising.
– Juliana Booysen, Oudtshoorn
