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The Penreach Whole Schools Development Programme was established to serve as a beacon of hope that could become a catalyst for improving the quality of education throughout the area, and to replicate its success into other Provinces. The goal of Penreach is to upgrade the skill levels of educators.
The programme is the largest school based outreach programme in Africa . It was officially established in 1994, starting as a small programme serving only 40 educators from Sappi who had requested assistance. Educators from surrounding areas heard about the programme, and started requesting permission to attend. Through word of mouth, and no marketing whatsoever, the programme has expanded to serve ±4,000 educators, representing ±990 schools, and over 350,000 learners in the Enhlanzeni region, and up to 200km away.
The success of the Penreach programme lies in it being responsive to its member's requests for training, rather than following a syllabus. The dramatic improvement of educator status, confidence, and school productivity as a result of Penreach training, is acknowledged in the region and beyond.
Our view is that change occurs because people want change to happen. We ask our partners what they would like us to facilitate at the end of each year, so that they identify the skills to develop. Educators attend because they have a desire to do so, and this enthusiasm is what attracts other educators to participate in the programme, and has caused the programme to grow.
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Every educator that attends Penreach for the first year is expected to complete the general main workshop. Here they learn the basics that many were never taught. After this year, educators may then choose a specialised workshop. Their choice is influenced by the fact that they may be weak in a particular area, or feel that they have insufficient competency |
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Improve the quality of teaching and learning in Literacy, Life Skills and Numeracy
Help educators on professionalism and classroom management
Train educators on improvisation and development
Empower educators on issues related to NCS, in all Learning Programmes |
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These workshops aim to enhance the teacher's knowledge and skills regarding the design of learning programmes. These include:
• designing learning programmes
• research skills
• planning assessment within the programme
• Closing the knowledge gap |
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