An education collaboration in underserved rural areas in Limpopo brings hope to learners by producing more effective teachers.
South Africa faces significant challenges in education, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy. This problem is especially acute in rural areas and schools serving lower-income communities. Research has found that the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree pursued by teacher interns does not equip them with the numeracy, literacy and subject content knowledge they need to teach effectively. In Limpopo the situation is compounded by the fact that schools do not have adequate resources and infrastructure to support the desired outcomes.
Equipping teachers to solve learning challenges
The lack of skills among newly qualified teachers is a concern exacerbated by the fact that teachers already in the education system are also not adequately equipped for their roles. The Thandulwazi Maths and Science Academy was looking for a solution to help improve the instructional and pedagogical competency of their teacher interns when they identified Funda Wande’s world-class programme to improve foundational literacy and numeracy.
Funda Wande’s ambitious mission has been to ensure that by 2023 all children in South Africa could read for meaning and calculate with confidence by the age of 10. The proposed partnership appeared to solve both organisations’ problems while contributing to initial teacher education (ITE). With the support from the FEM Education Foundation (FEMEF), Thandulwazi and Funda Wande negotiated a memorandum of understanding which formalised the collaborative partnership and provided Funda Wande with a mandate to conduct additional training in numeracy and literacy to foundation phase teacher interns in Limpopo.
Funda Wande’s role: To support Thandulwazi in recruiting and placing teacher interns; training teacher interns and mentors through the Reading and Numeracy Academy; and provide in-classroom support to teacher interns in the Capricorn and Waterberg districts.
Thandulwazi’s role: To recruit and select teacher interns; work with schools to appoint mentors; provide study resources as well as psychosocial and financial support for teacher interns; and continuous professional development activities for teacher interns and mentors alike.
Challenges and benefits of the partnership
Both organisations have their own cultures and carefully developed programmes. The partnership meant ‘letting go’ and being able to trust that the joint effort would yield better results than working in isolation. It proved challenging to agree on costings and operations, but both organisations worked together to budget and plan for the programme. It was anticipated that the programme would deliver positive financial impact and teach vital lessons about how to collaborate for social impact. “We also anticipate that the impact of this partnership in the personal and professional development of the teacher interns will be significant,” says Zolani Metu, Head of Programmes at Funda Wande.
Outcomes and impact
The three-year intervention (2024–2026) has clear goals: to produce B.Ed graduates with strong instructional and pedagogical capabilities; improve foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes in schools participating in the programme; and create a sustainable model for initial teacher education, combining theoretical knowledge with practical skills and evidence-based teaching methods. An independent evaluator will measure the ultimate impact of the programme in 2026. The parties will then reconvene to discuss a possible post-2026 strategy, says Metu.
Impact
The collaboration is benefiting a total of 84 teacher interns and 84 mentors (experienced teachers) in the Waterberg and Capricorn districts of Limpopo Province.
Key benefits of collaboration
The partnership demonstrates several key benefits of collaboration in education:
- Drawing on complementary expertise: Combining Thandulwazi’s initial teacher training experience with Funda Wande’s literacy and numeracy programmes creates a more comprehensive approach
- Making the most of resources: Sharing resources and responsibilities allows for a broader reach and more efficient use of funds
- Innovating: The collaboration has led to new approaches in ITE, potentially creating a model for future programmes
- Improving reach and scaling initiatives: Working together helps the programme to reach underserved rural areas in Limpopo.
The collaboration between Funda Wande and Thandulwazi, supported by FEMEF and the Limpopo Department of Basic Education, shows how partnerships can address complex educational challenges. By combining their strengths, these organisations are working towards producing well-prepared teachers and improving educational outcomes for learners in rural Limpopo, potentially creating a model for broader educational reform in South Africa.