We arrived at Cofimvaba at 08:05 as per usual and decided to report in at 08:15. My attention was drawn to an official I had communicated with the day before and decided to seek advice from them. We established that Mr Mgijima’s car was on the premises but eventually resorted to phoning him. He indicated that someone was allocated to accompany us but they were nowhere to be seen. After 20 minutes I resorted to locating the school on my iPad, sought confirmation of the directions and off we went.

I am always impressed with the scenery especially the little pass overlooking the Kei river. After some 5km of very bad road and slow driving we drove into the school grounds of Zigudu where we were met by Lucas the Principal. What a delightful person who was in total control of a well-managed school. He had allocated the Grades 6, 7, 8 and 9 learners as the others were busy with tests.

The learners were very different to the previous day as they could not be enticed to interact with the content. Language and cultural differences were evident but despite this many would go through the motions of indicating the answers through gestures. When asked to explain even in their own language they would shy away. None of them took up the offer to repeat their answers in isiXhosa to the 4 teachers who were present in the demonstration.

I did notice that there were more girls responding than usual and hammered home the importance of delaying child birth until after their studies. This included the importance of not taking Mathematics Literacy which would exclude them from the vast majority of university course that that may wish to embark on.

There was evidence once again of large solar panels to generate electricity but sadly the solar panels were either very badly damaged or simply missing. Even the blades of a local windmill were missing which was used to supply water to this community at one stage of its operational life. The absence of electricity at the school drove home the point of the use of alternative energy sources.

The customary singing was enjoyed by all allowing some of the more mature members to enjoy a Madiba Jive as well.

On route out of the area we stopped off at Zinzele to establish what time they were expecting us in the morning. Due to the absence of any large venue the request was made to make use of the veranda if the weather permitted allowing for the demonstration to all the Grade 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Ntshingeni JSS

We (Esme and Jade – university students from NMMU and I) arrived outside the Cofimvaba Education Department District Office by 08:05 after an exciting trip taking the back roads from the Coverside farm outside Cathcart. It was a windy morning covering everything with dust which made it very uncomfortable for everyone.

On arrival I sent off an SMS to notify Mr Mgijima that we were outside as per usual. The local hardware was visited to purchase a packet of screws to take with to schools. This used up a few minutes but by 09:15 the delay was too much. I went into the offices to look for guidance only to be told that Mr Mgijima was delayed with examinations somewhere. I asked for directions to Ntshingeni School as I knew that he had made all the arrangements. By 09:30 we departed from Cofimvaba arriving at the school after 10:00.

We were allocated a hall where the Grade 8 and 9 learners were waiting in neat rows with desks. I requested that they remove the desks and arrange the chairs closer to the front of the hall to make it easier to see the equipment. Unfortunately there was too much light filtering into the venue to make use of the data projector so ignored this component of the presentation.

Once again it did not take long to identify talented learners. One of the boys was exceptionally talented and answered the angle of the blades question with respect to the wind turbine. This showed great insight despite potentially not having experienced anything similar in the past. He was really chuffed with himself and will certainly make a good engineer in years to come.

Directly after this session the Grades 5 and 6 were lead into the venue and the same trends were identified. I tasked Esme and Jade to also mark the questionnaires of the learners who they thought showed talent. It was remarkable the degree of overlap we had. The experience for both of them is a powerful reminder of the bipolar education that we have in this country.

We returned to Cathcart via Queenstown to pick up supplies for a chicken potjie in the evening. The beauty of nature is very appealing especially when even the crickets retire after 20:00.

Preparing to visit Ntshingeni, Zigudu and Zenzile schools in the Cofimvaba district on Monday to Wednesday next week as part of the Cofimvaba Rural Schools Fuel Cell Education Initiative. Thanks to Mr Mgijima from the Cofimvaba Education Department for all the arrangements.

My NMMU Science students (intermediate Phase teachers) were exposed to exactly the same demonstrations this week as part of a section on Energy. The response was very positive as they will have to deal with the same topic and misconceptions when they enter service in the near future. The response from the rest of the staff has also been exceptionally positive with many reporting that they want to accompany me instead of the two students that I am taking with. Sadly the end is in sight as the journey has been most memorable.

Despite the emotional roller coaster ride I remain positive that there is incredible potential that needs to be nurtured further.

Average = 77.6 learners per school

I was able to meet the school the day before which meant that the customary stop in Cofimvaba was avoided. I was able to be at the school gate by 08:15 after an early and frosty start from a B&B in Queenstown as I have become very accustomed to finding my way around this area. One thing I have learnt is that when in Rome do as the Romans. I have noticed that the local drive slowly in very well defined tracks to avoid punctures and I trust that this observation will prevent any further mishaps.

The school was a far cry from all the other venues that I had been to. Mgcawezulu is a brand new school having been revamped and opened in January 2014. The official opening is scheduled for later this year. Everything was well laid out with a very modern and colourful pre-school on the school grounds. I am always overcome by the smiles on the faces and the waves from the small children as they skip their way down to classrooms eager to face the day.

It was decided that the Grades 8 and 9 would be combined into one session followed by a combined 6 and 7 demonstration as a shortened session with not as much detail if there were time constraints. 5 teachers sat in on the lesson and were so engrossed with the content that they often blurted out the answers forgetting that I was asking the learners. This enthusiasm was also encapsulated in the teachers wanting to complete the questionnaires as well. I have come to realise that the teachers are also benefiting from the sessions from a science content perspective as well as fundamental pedagogics.

Sadly the school had not had any electrical connections since the beginning of the year claiming that there were issues relating to the electricity provider in the region. The main office had a paraffin heater being used for the dual purposes of heating the room as well as water for tea/coffee. This must certainly be a major challenge in the delivery of meaningful education. Added to this was the issue of furniture and missing screws. Learners must spend their days shuffling frames for benches, wooden slates and other forms of furniture between classes all day as there was certainly not enough for all “bums on seats”.

My impressions were that this was a good school and that the learners have been taught well. They were responsive and gave positive answers when required. Again I came back to the recurring theme of the fact that there is talent out there.

At the end of the session I was leaving the school grounds and had to have one of the learners unlock the front gate. A young man who I had identified as having potential gave me a big friendly smile as I offered him some sweats from my tin in return for him opening the gates for me. He was about to take just one but I could see in his eyes that he longed for more. When I said he could have more his hand opened and he was pleased with his rewards. I spoke to him briefly and it turned out that his brother is a qualified engineer and he is also planning on going the same route. I commended him for his efforts and wished him well.

The journey home took me towards Cathcart where I took a road less travelled. Turning right at the last hill before Cathcart the dirt road led to Whittlesea (between Queenstown and the Nico Malan pass on the R67). The sight was well worth the effort from the top of a short pass before the town. With all the stops and casual driving I arrived in PE over 6 hours later, tired but happy on a job well done.

One cannot capture what I experienced today – every emotion and yet I am committed to making a difference. I arrived in Cofimvaba just after 8 to meet Mr Siyabata. The early start made a significant difference as we were able to take our time getting to the school before 09:00 covering a number of important topics on route.

It was a real challenge to turn off the main road and do some serious 4×4 driving in first gear crossing a river, negotiating an interesting driveway just to get to the community. The real challenge was to get to the school gate. Despite this we were treated as dignitaries on arrival and shown to a classroom accompanied by the school baby goat bleating in the background. Sadly broken windows persist and thank goodness the furniture graveyard was not encountered despite looking for it.

Due to the smaller number of learners in Grades 8 and 9 it was decided to do a full presentation to a combined class followed by an abridged version with the Grades 5 and 6.

Mr Siyabata and I came to the same conclusion once again that there is potential. This is evident with all the demonstrations where the learners are challenged beyond the level of their Grades. Each time individuals come up with new ideas which I had not considered which demonstrates that they have the spirit needed to go further one day. The demonstrations are not about content but rather an exposure to real technology, Science, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship, Career Guidance, Motivation, etc.

Each school treats me to the customary song at the end of the session and this time the teachers insisted that the Grade 1 and 2 classes joined in. Imagine being mobbed by 50-70 learners all wanting to be in the picture. The smile on their face and the determination to be in the front of the group said it all.

I have never felt threatened at any stage. On the Contrary. Yesterday I discovered that I had a puncture and decided to change it while the class was out for lunch. All the equipment including my iPad, laptop and camera was on the table. Nothing disappeared despite a number of learners being in the classroom. I may be wrong but I got the impression that the learners appreciated the trust that was shown to them and they did not disappoint me.

The roads to and from the schools is starting to tell on my vehicle. So far I have had one puncture and unfortunately lost the support bracket for my spare tyre while traveling on the rough roads. I wonder how the teachers cope with this problem getting to and from the rural schools. I take my hat off to them.

I would like to expose my students from NMMU to the reality of rural education so that they can experience the same euphoria in the hope of making them better educators. It is not about the content though I have come across schools where are no Science and Maths teachers AT ALL. I want to sit down and cry but I pick myself up and realize that the little time that I spend with the schools is making a small difference and I do see potential.

I was excited about the visit today as the past 7 schools have provided me with many challenges. Each day I arrive at the Education Department district offices not knowing where I will be deployed as this is left in the capable hands of Mr Mgijima.

Waiting outside the Education Department is an education in itself. Each morning I have noted an elderly lady walking past in old broken running shoes, track suit pants, a dress, an apron and a spade in her hand. She shuffles past and is deep in thought. I often wonder where she is off to.

Having arrived just after 8 I had to wait until just before 9 when Mr Mgijima arrived from King Williamstown. He had experienced heavy mist but did phone to let me know that he would be late. We headed off chatting as we covered a number of different topics including the missing screws from the furniture issue. He agreed with me that this was a problem but had not considered the possibility of investing in a few screws to reduce the damages to existing furniture. I had visited a local hardware store while waiting and determined that 4 screws would cost around R2.00 and would reduce the number of learners having to share furniture during lessons.

Having prepared for a lesson using a data projector and the SMART digital wireless slate I was disappointed to discover that the power in the classroom was non-existent. Mr Mgijima was kind enough to spend some time trying to resolve this matter with long extensions cords from the next building. This did influence the order of the lesson but did not distract from the quality of the demonstration.

Having arrived late at the school we were interrupted by the meal break as the school is part of a feeding scheme. During this break I discovered that I had a flat tyre and had no choice but to change it – easier said than done. The gravel roads added a new dimension to this little task together with a tyre that did not want to budge. A few blows with a brick on the inside of the rim resolved the matter by which time the learners were back.

I noted at least 5 learners in this school who answered some of the more difficult questions despite the language barriers. One has to bear in mind that these learners have received tuition through the medium of English since Grade 4 and yet they lack the confidence and sometimes the ability to communicate in English after 4 to 5 years. This is also evident in their answering of the questionnaire. I have taken note of the situation especially with English being their second language.

It is interesting to note in the Sunday Times dated 3 August that the poor use of English is a major constraint for learners. If they are not able to address this matter they will be severely constrained with regards their ability to cope with studying at university in the near future. I have suggested that learners answer the open ended questions in isiXhosa if they wish to do so.

The customary schoolyard furniture graveyard was evident yet again. It is interesting what the cost of 4 screws can save on a school budget. All the schools that I visited have this issue and yet there is a budget for repairs and maintenance. New furniture has been ordered and apparently a few heads have rolled over furniture tenders at a very high level.

I have challenged my NMMU students to raise funds for screws that we can repair a few desks on my next visit. Maybe I am just a dreamer as there is potential in these remote areas. Sadly they do not have a Science teacher at the school.

I shared my experiences with my students from NMMU during lectures after returning from my second visit. After lengthy discussions some of the students expressed an interest in joining me on the visits to the Cofimvaba district.

Discussions are underway to seek permission for the students to see education in rural communities and to reflect on this exercise as part of their training. The intention is for the students to observe the lessons for 2 days and to interact with the learners as well. At the end of each day there will be an opportunity to reflect on what transpired during the lessons which I am confident will have a positive impact on their perceptions of education. I am also confident that the learners may also deliver the last lesson including interacting with the hydrogen fuel cells as well.

The second part of the commitment will be for the students to conceptualise and execute a mini research project as their contribution to the process with the possibility of publishing their findings. At the first informal meeting the idea of a community project emerged where the students raise funds for the schools as well. The suggestion was to purchase wood and screws to repair some of the broken desks in the schools.

The third visit is scheduled for the week starting 04 August.