A good example of this is Tsogo Sun Arts Academy, which is a full-year curriculum programme that uses the arts as a catalyst to provide opportunities for change in the lives of learners in disadvantaged communities. It provides a foundation in the basics of drama, dance, vocal training and voice projection, together with a structured life-skills course covering a broad spectrum of topics. Training and upskilling of facilitators and educators is an important facet of the programme.
The Arts Academy currently operates in 12 primary and secondary schools in the Diepsloot and Mayfair areas as well as in East London and Nelspruit with more than 540 learners and 37 educators involved.
"Where the educators have embraced the potential of this programme and gone the extra mile, it is making a striking difference to the learners and the schools as a whole," explains Shanda Paine, Tsogo Sun Group CSI Manager.
Patience Maponyane is a Life Orientation educator at Reshomile Primary School in Diepsloot where the learners constantly face tough social issues. When Tsogo Sun first presented the Arts Academy initiative to the school, Maponyane and the school principal, Deidre Xulu, were inspired - and Maponyane was appointed the programme's in-school co-ordinator. From the start in February 2013, Maponyane actively participated and encouraged the selected learners to be wholly committed to the programme.
She soon picked up new teaching ideas and adapted the Arts Academy practical activities to her own Life Orientation lesson plans. She also encouraged the Arts Academy learners to present the lessons they had learnt to their classmates - and so built a strong peer learning system. This expanded and the Arts Academy learners assisted in teaching practical lessons based on Arts Academy curriculum modules relating to Life Orientation in other classes.
These teaching methods proved to be highly effective and the average scores of Maponyane's Life Orientation pupils improved from a 40% average in 2013 to a 60% average in June 2014.
Maponyane is extremely encouraged by the outcome and says that through these lessons she noticed a strong growth in confidence and expressiveness among the pupils, which flowed into other school activities. Learners showed leadership skills, they took charge in group learning situations, and also regularly volunteered when the school needed helpers for different tasks.
In August 2013, Maponyane entered the Arts Academy group in the Segarona Cultural Showcase, a competitive performing arts platform hosted by the Gauteng Department of Education. Reshomile Primary School was placed third out of 40 groups for "Best performance in the Contemporary Group Dance" category.
Maponyane and Xulu then staged the production at their school, selling tickets to raise funds for food parcels for the least advantaged learners in the school.
In 2013, Maponyane was recognised for her dedicated work and was awarded the "Tsogo Sun Arts Academy Educator of the Year" award by the organisers. She also scored highest in her school in the Department Of Education's educator performance evaluation in District D10.
Last year, the Department of Education's evaluation of Maponyane's teaching methods again earned her the highest score in Life Orientation in her district and she was appointed Departmental Coach and Mentor for other lifeskills educators in the D10 District.
Says Paine, "We're proud of what Mrs Maponyane is achieving in the school through the Tsogo Sun Arts Academy - she is a shining example of what this programme is achieving and we certainly aim to continue empowering educators and learners through the Academy."
