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Penreach is an award-winning, non-profit Whole School Development Programme working with stakeholders at every level in schools in disadvantaged rural communities in the Mpumalanga region and beyond to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Its approach is holistic. Recently Penreach was formally recognised by the Department of Education Mpumalanga for its work to assist schools in rural communities. A shining example of the success of Penreach is young Bonginkosi Mnisi who achieved 100% for his Maths and Science 2010 NSC exams after attending Penreach tutorial lessons for three years. Bongikosi’s success is testament to the untapped potential in learners in disadvantaged areas throughout South Africa. Programmes like Penreach are able to tap into the ambitions and aspirations of these learners and unleash the talent in our country.
Since its formal establishment in 1994, Penreach now reaches more than 2,000 teachers a year, representing over 900 schools. In excess of 350,000 learners benefit directly from Penreach annually. At least 90% are women.
Penreach runs three major programmes aimed at developing skills at every level in a school learning community. They are the:
Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Pre-School Programme (includes an accredited ECD Level 4 NQF course and imminently an ECD Level 5 NQF course);
Primary School Development Programme;
Maths, Science and English Development Programme (includes weekly tutorial lessons for Maths and Science learners).
The above programmes are currently supported by the:
Ndzalo Mobile Science Laboratory;
School Governing Body ( SGB) Programme;
School Management Team (SMT) Programme;
Principal to Principal (PTP) Programme (include Subject Head development);
Strengthening Our Schools (SOS) Programme; and
Library Development Programme.
In partnership with donors and local NGO’s, Penreach is piloting a programme to strengthen the education development work it is undertaking in schools by running projects that are essential to community development but that do not necessarily form part of Penreach’s core business which is education development. Known as the Strengthening Our Schools (SOS) Programme, projects include the provision of psycho-social support to teachers, orphans and vulnerable children; improving state run feeding schemes; growing vegetable gardens; developing sport and sports facilities; environmental education with a view to turning schools into profit centres through waste management; providing IT training; youth leadership development camps; and administration training.
Penreach is also piloting a model that has potential to become a national blue print involving the development of 'learning communities'. Secondary schools with potential to become beacons of educational excellence in their communities are selected as well as their feeder schools for focussed interventions by Penreach. This way children in a community will benefit from quality teaching and well managed, caring schools from the minute they enter a pre-school right through to writing their NSC final exam. The critical foundations necessary for success in the higher grades will also be laid.
One of the strategic objectives of Penreach going forward is to replicate all of or some aspects of its programme into other regions of South Africa, depending on the needs of the communities approaching Penreach for assistance.
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Penreach received a donation of R550 000 and a sponsored Car from Bayer PTY Ltd at a recent teacher development programme, which attracted over 2000 teachers.
As part of an extensive corporate social investment programme, Bayer is investing in programmes supported and overseen by Penreach which is dedicated to developing skills at every level in school learning communities
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Bjoern Skogum, CEO of Bayer, Roster Chambale, Penreach and Johan Fourie CFO of Bayer had over the cheque. |
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