PEP NEWS

Pep helps to keep kids at school
05 June 2008

PEP has launched the Student Prince Academy to provide after-school core competence training in literacy, numeracy and life skills to hundreds of Grade 4 children in Gauteng and the Western Cape.  As PEP’s MD, George Steyn explains:  “We’re not only helping to keep kids at school.  We’re also keeping them off the streets, and providing a safe and caring environment for free supplementary education and other activities.

PEP is investing R4.5-million in the first year of the project, which consists of four academies teaching 640 children the necessary building blocks of education in two existing Gauteng schools (Tembisa and Daveyton in Ekurhuleni) and in two Western Cape schools (Walter Teka & Liwa School in Nyanga and the Tygersig Primary school in Tygerberg).  Some of these academies also service children from surrounding schools.

The biggest challenge faced by Government and the education sector is to dramatically improve core performance and to increase the average performance in South African schools. The problems are often attributed to poor transition from mother tongue to English at Grade 4 level and this is when many learners, who find it difficult to adapt to the transition, then leave school. For this reason The Student Prince Academy curriculum was designed to support this critical change - to help learners with homework, extra literacy, numeracy tuition and life skills training.  It takes place in all four schools from 14h30 until 16h30 on three afternoons a week and all 640 children are given a balanced meal before their lessons begin.
Steyn adds: “We believe it is hugely important to help kids continue their schooling in a safe environment.  Children are an important part of PEP’s business and are the future of this country.  We want to make a contribution to the country by improving children’s education, particularly because drop out rates are now such a growing concern.”

MEC for Education of Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore says that this initiative is in line with what the department is trying to do in making the school the hub of the community.  “I am incredibly excited and encouraged by this initiative from PEP. It is helping to keep our learners at school longer, helping them with their homework, enriching their academic performance and is exactly what we need - I fully endorse it and I believe that that all the provinces in our country could benefit from the PEP Student Prince Academies.”

After just two terms, the Student Prince Academy is already deemed to be a success.  Attendance levels are extremely high and early indications are that skills standards are increasing. Cameron Dugmore says the project is “one that merits roll out as a Public Private Partnership initiative”.  

George Steyn concludes: “Although it’s a multi-million rand project, it is still a small start for PEP. The early signs are promising and the academies are working well and if we measure improvement in the children’s skills, we will expand this initiative in the future”.