Displaying 1 - 10 of 23
Abstract
The study sought the socio-economic supports available for the high school adolescent girl learners from child-headed families (CHFs). The study used the phenomenological research design using a total of 40 learners from five (5) rural schools which were randomly selected for the study. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews. Data collected were thematically analyzed by scrutinizing them for commonalities. The findings of the study revealed that the adolescent girls in CHFs receive the majority of their socio-economic supports from the…
Abstract: Orphaned learners in South Africa are vulnerable and frequently absent from school. These learners are often physically abused and may be stigmatized due to their state of homelessness, as a result potentially turning to substance use or abuse. This article focuses on the lived experiences of orphaned learners and their perspectives relating to the support offered by the School-Based Support Team (SBST) within schools, in two education districts of the Free State province, South Africa. Twenty-five orphaned learners from five schools in two education district (…
Abstract
The aim of this article is to discuss the social justice implications for educational psychologists working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) who comprise 3.7 million of the population in South Africa. The author begins with a global conceptualisation of social justice and then discusses the nature of social justice in South Africa. This is followed by an exploration of social justice within the discipline of educational psychology and how it would apply to the contexts of OVC, especially taking their psychosocial and educational challenges into consideration. These…
Despite having international and national legislative frameworks and policies that guarantee children’s rights and encourage their participation in matters affecting them, consulting children has received scant scholarly attention in the African context. Notwithstanding this state of affairs, it is important to ask whether, in keeping with growing progressive practices, having children as active researchers is a feasible goal to achieve and, if so, how might this be possible. Drawing on Swartz and Nyamnjoh’s framework of research existing along an emancipatory continuum, we argue for…
Abstract
In South African schools, the umbrella term orphans and vulnerable children includes child-headed households (CHHs). In the light of trauma exposure of learners from CHHs due to their plight, there is a need to investigate how they are supported. This research investigated the psychosocial-support provision for learners from CHHs in five public high schools in South Africa. This was a qualitative study using a phenomenological design. A stratified sampling method was used to gather data from principals, co-ordinators of health programmes and teachers with the highest number of…
In this webinar, Care2Practice's Lucy Hillier will talk to Jamie Lachman, founder and director of Clowns Without Borders South Africa, about the “Parenting for Life Long Health” programme which is being implementing in several countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region. Together they consider the strengths of the approach embodied by the programme, what has been learned so far, and the implications for children’s care. They also discuss experiences implementing the programme in different countries and contexts.
The recording of Care2Practice’s live interview with…
Abstract
A well-documented outcome for emerging adults in determining their “success” is whether they are Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) or engaged in Education, Employment, and Training (EET). Being NEET can create psychological, emotional, financial, and health challenges and is a significant risk factor in youth making successful transitions into adulthood. This article describes and compares the NEET and EET status of care leavers from Girls and Boys Town after 1 and 2 years and in relation to other outcomes. The results suggest that while care leavers’ NEET rates are…
South Africa is a young nation, one in which more than 18 million children comprise roughly 37 percent of the population. For about 70 percent of them, however, the future is bleak. They live in the poorest households and are exposed to inhumane violence and abuse. They have limited access to quality education, especially early childhood education (ECD). They also lack care and support from parents and other adults, and reside in areas where assistance for children with disabilities is virtually non-existent.
Save the Children South Africa will be the champion for these children by…
This policy brief draws from the findings of a study which investigated the academic performance of orphaned learners aged between eight and ten years from ten public primary schools in Mankweng Circuit of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Based on the findings of the study the brief makes recommendations for the provision of afterschool intervention programmes by the Department of Basic Education to cater for the scholastic needs of the disadvantaged learners. The brief also advocates for the incorporation of psychosocial issues and counselling in the teacher training curriculum, coupled with…
Abstract:
The well-being of learners is critical for attention, memory, language, perception, decision making and problem solving. Stressors such as the loss of a parent(s) can hamper these processes resulting in scholastic underachievement. Current research has explored the scholastic performance of orphaned learners aged eight to ten from ten public primary schools in Mankweng Circuit of Limpopo Province, South Africa, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods that included semi structured interviews, observations and questionnaires. A sample of two hundred learners (N=200) took…