Our Mission
Provision of quality in-service training and development in schools to improve the quality of teaching and the culture of learning in historically disadvantaged schools. The programme focuses on hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the methods of teaching Science, Maths and English (Literacy), through educator development and training. Soft skills are self-development, classroom management, environmental education, life orientation and civics education. In order to improve the quality of teaching, the following goals were identified:
• To improve the content knowledge of educators.
• To improve the classroom methodology of educators.
• To improve management capabilities of principals and senior staff.
• To develop leadership skills in our youth.
• To enhance the skills of qualified educators through an internship programme.
• To develop Inclusion Training Programmes for qualified educators in the communities.
• To assist with HIV/AIDS education.
Interesting Facts
• Penreach is the largest school based outreach programme in Africa . Since the programme was developed it has expanded to serve ± 4000 educators representing ± 990 schools, and over 350,000 learners.
• Annual expenditure of Penreach is R4 million per annum. Penreach relies on the support it receives from donors, as its member educators work in schools situated in under-developed communities, with little or no resources of their own. Donations made to Penreach, via the Penryn Trust, are tax deductible.
• Penreach is about the voluntary participation of thousands of educators who regularly attend workshops at Penryn, from as far as 200 km away.
• There are more than 750 organised Penreach skills development events each year. These include regular fieldworker visits to schools, math and science development workshops, pre-school workshops, primary school workshops, high school workshops, School Governing Body (SGB) meetings, Learner Representative Council (LRC) weekends, headmaster exchanges, Principals' forums, science expos, intern visits, and even a group which meets to help orphaned children run the households they have been left in charge of.
• Visiting educators are mainly, but not solely, women. They pay R10 to R15 per day, which includes lunch, and they pay their own transport to get to Nelspruit. It is seen as important that they contribute in a small way, as then they feel that they are full participants.
