In an effort to make a concrete and practical contribution to improving the quality of secondary education in Grahamstown, Rhodes University’s Department of Economics and Economic History has launched an education initiative to learners from Ntsika High School.
The project involving 20 Grade 11 learners sees a number of Rhodes Economics lecturers and undergraduate and postgraduate students provides afternoon classes at the Economics Department, involving presentations on key areas of the economics curriculum.
Classes will focus on areas identified by Ntsika High School subject head and Economics teacher, Mr Mbuyiseli Bojo, and learners will be divided into groups and complete exercises aimed at encouraging them to discuss and explain key concepts.
Learners have been supplied with an Economics textbook, Enjoy Economics sponsored by Heinemann Publishers and basic stationary materials that were provided by Rhodes Community Engagement Division.
“Being able to understand things like inflation and economic growth and wages are also important if one is going to be a responsible citizen who can join in debates and be part of a well-functioning democracy,” said Prof Jen Snowball.
Explaining that the classes are not intended to replace school lessons, Prof Snowball said the project will involve working closely with subject head at Ntsika High School, Mr Bojo, in helping to identify topics that learners find difficult and skills such as essay writing that need improvement.
“The extra lessons do not replace normal school lessons, but are intended to complement what students are doing in school. Our idea is to build on what the learners are being taught in class and to iron out any grey areas,” she said.
For Mr Bojo, the expertise that the learners will be exposed to is of huge importance and is a major achievement for Ntsika High School.
“I am really excited about the project and I believe it will be beneficial for our learners. It is an opportunity for them to be exposed to the extensive knowledge of the lecturers and tutors and this is very important,” he added.
Learners Ntombikayise Sathi and Feziwe Teyise said they enjoy coming to Rhodes University and are excited for what the project will involve. Teyise wants to study business after school and described the project as a “really great opportunity”.
Prof Snowball said she believes the project will benefit the learners by encouraging them to talk about and practice Economics more and so improve the pass rate, while also providing the Rhodes students with a chance to explain and teach.
“We are very excited about this and believe we can all benefit from it. We are encouraging learners to see their studies as an ongoing process, and not to throw their textbooks away at the end of every year. We want them to understand that what they learn here will build on prior knowledge,” she said.
Stressing the importance of mutual benefit from prior experience with a similar programme, Prof Antrobus said he is “hoping and praying that the initiative will be mutually beneficial for all involved”, and that if this is not the case “we would have failed in fulfilling our aim”.
Julie-Anne Lothian, coordinator of Systems and Scholarship from the University’s Community Engagement Division said the project is a useful example of how departments on campus are putting their own skills into practice for the benefit of others as well as the departments.
“This is a really exciting project and I encourage other departments to apply their specific skills to the development of others,” she said.
Prof Snowball concluded that the project is intended to continue next year when the learners are in Grade 12. She thanked Heinemann Publishers, part of the Pearson publishing group, for sponsoring the textbooks and Rhodes Community Engagement Office for stationary and transport.
By Sarah-Jane Bradfield
Photo by Adrian Frost