Mitchell's Plain Bursary Trust engages with high school leaders to boost pupil success

The Mitchell's Plain Bursary and Role Model Trust (MPBRMT) connected with several Mitchell's Plain high school principals and representatives at an engagement at Glendale High in Rocklands on Monday, June 9.

Trust representatives, including patron Trevor Manuel, chairperson Achmat Chothia, and trustees Eugene Daniels and Jeremy Michaels, shared the organisation's vision, objectives, and success stories.

The MPBRMT was founded in 2010, following the inaugural Mitchell's Plain Education Forum summit that same year. It was officially launched on June 16, 2011.

Addressing principals, Mr Michaels said the trust has awarded more than 500 bursaries and yielded 112 graduates since then, with only 10 recipients dropping out of the programme.

"About 10 have dropped out along the way, and I'm sure you'll agree that that in itself is a significant number. The dropout rate is quite low, and that is largely because of the psychosocial support that we try our best to provide," he said, acknowledging the efforts of trust administrator Genevieve Claasse who supports recipients closely," he said.

Mr Michaels said while the trust has broadened its footprint to include Philippi and Khayelitsha, it is barely scratching the surface, considering the number of young people in the further education system.

"It is devastating to see the number of young people who are dropping out of school, and where are they ending up?

"They are not ending up in decent jobs. They are not ending up as plumbers, fitters and turners, welders, carpenters, and so on. You have to finish school to get there most of the time, nowadays," he said, adding that many matriculants never get to study further.

He said that is why they are scratching the surface.

"How many kids are actually going to further education? We are also trying to start shifting our focus, from what was the focus on supporting students who are registered at universities to broader, post-school studies, such as apprenticeships," he said. 

Mr Michaels also highlighted success stories of bursary recipients, namely Azraa Campbell, a Westridge High matriculant, and Kholisile Ndzube from Brown's Farm, Philippi.

Azraa is a BCom Finance and Economics student at the University of the Western Cape, and Kholisele is a BSc Computer Science student at the University of Cape Town.

Mr Daniels, a former Metro South education district director, encouraged the principals to continue being role models for their staff and pupils while creating solutions to the challenges they face in education

"I believe many of you are role models. You give the very best of your life to education. It's an ageing profession. I was acting principal for two years last year in Dunoon and Joe Slovo, so I've got some idea of how things have become worse.

"It's the country's fault. We have not done a lot of things right. The only way we're going to solve the problem in our country is if we stop blaming and moaning and groaning and you do this daily," he said.

Heeding the trust's call, several principals and teachers shared solutions to some of their challenges.

Portland High principal Ridwaan Williams highlighted the use of technology in classrooms to stream lessons by specialist teachers to other high schools in Mitchell's Plain.

Sheikh Ebrahim Dawood, principal of Darul Arqam Islamic High School, shared the impact of positive affirmation of staff and pupils and the introduction to confidential counselling services.

He also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and the importance of emotional intelligence among teachers.

"Your top teachers is not the person that's going to give the best lecture or lesson over because you can just go on YouTube and play it in your class.

"It is that teacher that can see the gaps in the learning journey of children. That person is able to give proper feedback to the child, to reassess the child to make sure that he or she understands the content.

"And thirdly, someone who has the emotional intelligence to go with it so the child doesn't feel offended, when the child approaches the kitchen for a free sandwich," Mr Sheikh Dawood said.

On Youth Day, Monday, June 16, the trust will return to its birthplace, Glendale High, for its bursary awards ceremony.

"As Achmat said, it was here where we started on June 16, 2010. It was an important statement about youth and the investment in successive generations and young people.

"I'm glad we'll be back here on June 16 because one of the things we don't do enough of is to affirm, and so there'll be a celebration of those who've been through the programme," Mr Manuel said.