So Much More Than Just School

It may be said that education is a bit of a contentious topic in South Africa. The fact that quality education is in so many cases more freely available to a privileged few is a horrible truth. Add to this mix philosopher George Santayana’s sentiment that “a child educated only at school is uneducated”, and you will surely cause an uproar. Isn’t it difficult enough to: (a) find and (b) afford good education? This in itself seems to be a feat worthy of celebration. But Mr Santayana might’ve had a point…

The problem, as it would seem, to Mr Santayana, is that a school education, while allowing children to learn the basics, will not necessarily teach qualities such as curiosity, passion for learning and aptitude to learn new things quickly. For this reason, he might’ve thought, that more than just a school education, in the narrowest sense, is required. Horizons confined to a chalkboard may pose the danger of being limiting.

But then that ugly thing called poverty rears its head. It is nice for Mr Santayana to make such statements, but in reality, how can you provide the many learners who may not even have the financial support to go to school, let alone indulge in the “luxury” of extra-curricular learning, with the opportunities they need to broaden their minds?

Luckily there are others who are giving learners the opportunity to enjoy extra-curricular learning regardless of their financial means. Elmien Claassens, CEO of the Funanani Charitable Trust, recognises the importance of sending children on field trips from a young age. For this reason, children from the Funanani Early Childhood Development Centres (based in Mamelodi and Soshanguve) go on field trips – for many of them, these field trips give them their first opportunity to travel beyond the communities in which they live.

The National Children’s Theatre is another champion for the importance of extracurricular education in a learner’s development. Mindful of the resource constraints faced by learners in less privileged communities, the National Children’s Theatre takes live theatre to those communities, working to break down boundaries which typically might’ve precluded children from learning in this way.

Different.org is helping Funanani and the National Children’s Theatre broaden children’s horizons: visit Funanani’s Educational Excursions and National Children’s Theatre’s Educating through Theatre.