Suggestions to the challenges in provision of support in schools

There are aspects that need to be considered when a barrier to learning has been identified. These include:

➢ When a barrier has been identified, the purpose of assessing the intensity of the barrier is to support the learner to cope with that problem in and outside the classroom through addressing the barriers involved. Sometimes the learner him/herself may contribute to the problem and it is the responsibility of the DBSTs and SBST to determine how the learner is actually contributing. For instance, he/she may not be able to hear properly.

➢ The team also has to keep in mind that teachers may sometimes contribute to the problem. According to the DoE (2005a:28), this includes considering how the teacher manages the class, how teaching and learning take place in the classroom, and so on. If the teacher fails to manage the class effectively, that may also disadvantage learners, because others who are ill-disciplined will capitalise on that and misbehave, while those who are bored may seek attention until they are noticed. Thus, it is important that the teacher is able to manage and control a class firmly, because an uncontrolled class can be like a runaway lorry and cause havoc and misery to a great number of people. Without authority, a teacher is unlikely to be able to control a class.

➢ At times, teachers, through inadequate training, use teaching styles which may not meet the needs of some of the learners. For instance, the teacher may teach

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at a pace which only suits learners who learn very quickly and, alternatively, the pace and style of teaching may limit the initiative and involvement of learners with high levels of ability. It is the DBST’s responsibility to ensure that teachers are adequately trained.

➢ The curriculum in itself has an influence on teaching and learning. The DBSTs have to consider whether there are aspects of the curriculum impacting on the problem (DoE, 2005a:28). In this regard, one may consider the adequacy or inadequacy of the learning materials and whether they are accessible or not to all learners. Learners may be prevented from accessing the curriculum through inadequate provision of materials or equipment they need for learning to take place. Learners with disabilities, who do not receive the necessary assistive devices which would equip them to participate in the learning process, are often the victims of these barriers.

➢ The DoE (1997a:16) mentions that lack of provision of assistive devices for learners who require them may impair not only the learning process, but also their functional independence, preventing them from interacting with other learners and participating independently in the learning environment. Furthermore, the assessment procedures that are not sensitive to the different needs of learners in the class may have an impact on the problem. The assessment that leads to problems are the ones that are often inflexible and designed to assess only particular kinds of knowledge as aspects of learning, such as the amount of information that can be memorised, rather than the learner ‘s understanding of the concepts involved.

➢ The physical and interpersonal environment of the school may also affect the problem and it is the responsibility of both teams to keep this issue in mind. Factors such as interpersonal conflict at the school, mismanagement, a lack of adequate materials or equipment, inaccessible buildings and classrooms for learners with disabilities, may indirectly be acting as barriers to the teaching and learning process (DoE, 2005a:28). The teams have to take into consideration that, in many contexts, the vast majority of schools are inaccessible to a large number of learners, teachers and communities and this inaccessibility is evident when schools are, for instance, physically inaccessible to anyone with disabilities using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

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➢ The DBST also has to consider in what way the teaching and learning process is influenced by the home environment. The DoE (2005a:28) believes that influences from the home environment include consideration of family dynamics, home-language, socio-economic class, cultural background and the economic conditions of the family, including employment or unemployment status. For example, for many learners teaching and learning takes place through a language that is not their first language and this not only places these learners at a disadvantage, but also leads to linguistic difficulties which contribute to learning breakdown. In many cases, second language learners are often subjected to low expectations, discrimination and lack of cultural peers.

➢ The DBST also has to look at the broader community and social factors that create barriers to the learning process. The DoE (2005a:29) states that this includes the number of social challenges facing schools and other education institutions, including poverty, the HIV and AIDS pandemic, various forms of violence, substance abuse and so on. For instance, lack of access to basic services may be a result of the effect that sustained poverty has on learners, the learning process and the education system. Most learners from poverty- stricken families are subject to increased emotional stress that adversely affects learning and development, and also a lack of concentration and other symptoms caused by under-nourishment that affect the ability of the learner to engage effectively in the learning process.

The DoE (1997a:13) indicates furthermore that poverty-stricken communities are communities which are frequently characterised by limited educational facilities, large classes with high pupil/teacher ratios, inadequately trained staff and inadequate teaching and learning materials. Learning breakdown and the inability of the system to sustain effective teaching and learning are impacted by these factors. Another example, when recognising the broader community and social factors that have significant impact on learners, is the occurrence of HIV/AIDS. Many learners do not only have to deal with HIV/AIDS infection, but also have to deal with the loss of family members, particularly breadwinners, due to HIV/AIDS.

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