What is going on?
There are many factors that affect a school's performance, so many that only one post is not enough to cover them all. The two I will mention in this post are ranking high in that list.
Overcrowded classes
There is a saying, more of a serious joke really, that says forty learners per room is a class but fifty plus learners in one room is a mass meeting. However humorous this is, it is a sad reality that teachers are faced with.
In this teaching profession it is crucial for a teacher to connect with and to reach out to his or her learners. More often than not there are more than a few struggling learners in every class. It is the duty of the teacher to identify and assist these learners. With a class of fifty or more learners this is hard to do.
Overcrowding results in learners not being given the attention they need from the teachers but also all the attention they get from their classmates which is captured through unruly behaviour most of the time. A big class often gets disorderly and it is difficult to pinpoint the instigators. Now instead of teaching the teachers must handle the chaos that ensued.
Impoverished family backgrounds
Poverty is still rife in many communities and most likely there are many children belonging to poor families. When each day is a struggle to provide for their children, some parents often cannot engage in their children's education.
There are three components that are crucial in ensuring the success of the student and those are the teacher, the learner and the parent. This is a tripod. Once one leg is cut off or is none functional, the entire thing falls apart. This is why the parent component is so important but because of poverty, some parents have more than enough to worry about.
Conclusion
The education and success of a child depends on many variables. These factors are often interrelated and are difficult to solve. There are many challenges facing this profession and it will take a collective effort to overcome them.
