South African educators visit Blair

Four South African educators are visiting Blair until May 14 as part of an ongoing U.S. Agency for International Development program.

Migroes Khumalo, Magdeline Kgotle, Tshwaro David Pitso and Roderick Riddles came to Blair on April 26 to observe American classes in order to improve their South African classes. They each come from a different province and speak a different language, but English is the primary language of instruction in South Africa.

"We are being developed," said Khumalo, who believes that the visit will help the group to advance their schools. "We are being empowered."

The four spent their first week watching several classes in their area of expertise. Then, they each chose a Blair teacher to be their mentor.

Kgotle, who works in administration and is now shadowing in the principal's office, noticed vast differences between the American and South African educational systems. In South Africa, for example, students are expected to sit and listen intently through classes. They are not supposed to ask questions; they are supposed to pay rigid attention.

"Students [here] are open," Kgotle said of Blazers. She thought the atmosphere here is better than at the school where she works because students are able to ask about what they want to know. She also remarked that teachers here are not particularly fazed if students are not completely attentive.

Another huge difference between the education systems is the grading policy. In South Africa, students work all year in a minimum of six classes to get one annual grade. At the end of the year, there is one cumulative exam. Also, students in South Africa are required to wear uniforms.

Perhaps the most jarring difference, though, is the lack of teaching supplies in South Africa. Khumalo was very interested in the materials available in Blair's classrooms. After spending a week along with Riddles in Summer Roark's chemistry classes, he said, "I'm quite sure of what I'm in need of." Before visiting Blair, Khumalo was unaware of the supplies he was missing.

Has coming to Blair helped his situation? "Materialistically, no," Khumalo said, "but methodologically, yes."

The educators will each be gifted a graphing calculator--something they have never seen before. Even Pitso, a computer teacher observing Dennis Heidler's classes, was a little bit wary of the new devices. No one has explained to them yet exactly what a graphing calculator does, but they will be given workshops on their use.