IPhulo lokuJolisa kwiZiseko zokuFunda (Foundations for Learning Campaign), esiliphehlelele kutshanje, likhwelo eliya ezikolweni nakuluntu lwasekuhlaleni lokujolisa ekufundeni, ekubhaleni nasekubaleni izibalo.

Eli phulo liya kuchaza izinto esilindele ukuba zenzeke ekufundiseni nasekufundeni kwizigaba zesiseko nesiphakathi. Liya kubonisa lize linike izibonelelo (resources) eziyimfuneko ukuze kufundiswe ngempumelelo. Liya kucacisa gca ngokunjalo uvavanyo oluyimfuneko ukutshekisha ukuba abafundi bayafikelela na kwimigangatho eyimfuneko unyaka nonyaka.

Imfundo esemgangathweni imiselwa kwiminyaka yokuqala umntwana ayichitha esikolweni. UMaria Montessori wayengomnye weengcali zootitshala abakholelwa ekubeni iziseko zophuhliso lomntu zimiselwa kwiminyaka esekuqaleni yomntwana. Wathi ukuba: "Elona thuba libaluleke gqitha ebomini asiyominyaka yezifundo ozenza eyunivesithi, koko ngunyaka wokuqala, ithuba elisusela ekuzalweni ukuya kutsho kwiminyaka emithandathu ubudala."

Eli thuba "lelona thuba lakhe labaluleka" ("golden hour") lokufumana imfundo esemgangathweni, ngaloo minyaka apho umntwana afundiswa khona izakhono ezingundodo nolwazi oluya kumenza abe nako ukufunda aze akwazi ukuvelisa umbono ocacileyo ngehlabathi. "Elona thuba lakhe labaluleka" kwezemfundo liqala kwisigaba sesiseko, kumabakala R ukuya kwelesithathu eliye libetheleleke kwisigaba esiphakathi kwibakala lesine ukuya kwelesithandathu. Kungeli xesha "lelona thuba lakhe labaluleka" apho abantwana bafunda ukufunda ukwenzela ukuba baze bakwazi kwixesha elizayo ukufundela ukuzuza imfundo.

Bafumana izakhono ezibalulekileyo ukuqonda iincwadi zezifundo (textbooks) ekuya kufuneka bazifunde bazibethelele entloko ukuze bakwazi ukuphumelela kwiimviwo zematriki nakwizifundo zabo zaseyunivesithi. Kwisigaba sesiseko abantwana bafunda ukuvakalisa izimvo zabo, ukubhala iingcinga zabo ephepheni, ukuchaza ukuze kamva bacacise ngehlabathi elibangqongileyo. Baye baqale ukuqonda ikhonsepthi namandla amanani. Ukwazi ukufunda, ukubhala nokubala kakuhle sisiseko semfundo esemgangathweni.

Lo gama kukuninzi okunokubhiyozelwa kwimfundo yasemva kowe-1994, amanqaku ethu esiwazuzayo kwiimvavanyo zamazwe ngamazwe zokufunda nolwazi lokubala abe sezantsi ngokokude abe ngawothusayo. Injongo yale milinganiselo yamazwe ngamazwe (international ratings) kukukhuthaza ngamandla inguqu.

Amazwe amaninzi ayenzile inguqu eyimfuneko ukuphucula inkqubo yomfundi ngokuthi aqalise izicwangciso zokufundisa ulwazi lokufunda nokubhala zesizwe (national literacy strategies).

Ngoku ithuba lelethu ukuba senjenjalo. Lithuba lethu ngoku ukuqalisa apho iziphumo ziya kuba nefuthe elikhulukazi, lokuba sithathele ingqalelo ngamandla iziseko zokufunda.

Sesinabo abantwana abaselula abangaphezulu kwama-600 000 abaya kwiBakala R kwaye sizimisele ekufundiseni imfundo eyenziwa kwihlabathi liphela yeBakala R (universal Grade R education) ngonyaka ka-2010. Ukuzimisela kwethu akuphelelanga nje ekubeni abafundi abaselula babe seklasini, koko kusekuqinisekiseni ukuba aba bantwana bafumane imfundo yeBakala R esemgangathweni apho bakhula bezazi ukuba bangoobani na, bakwazi ukuzithemba bona buqu nokwazi ukuqonda ihlabathi elibangqongileyo.

Okubalulekileyo kukuba, ootitshala beBakala R baya kufundisa izakhono zolwazi lokufunda nokubhala nezolwazi lokubala, ukuze bakwazi ukufunda iincwadi, ukuze bazi ukuba amabali avela ezincwadini esizifundayo nokuba bayiqonde ikhonsepthi yamanani yehlabathi elibangqongileyo.

Baya kufika kwiBakala 1 sebechebeleza. Yintoni ke le emasiyenze kwiBakala 1 ukuze siqhubele phambili ngothakazelelo nangomdla ekufundeni?

Sifuna ukuqiniseka ukuba wonke utitshala, zonke iinqununu, wonke umphathi okwinkqubo yemfundo uyakwazi ngqo emakwenziwe ukunika nokugcina imfundo esemgangathweni. Sifuna ukuqiniseka ukuba wonke umfundi uyayamkela imingeni yokufunda nokuba wonke umzali nomgcini womfundi (guardian) bayalwamkela uxanduva lokuba nomfundi ekhaya. Sifuna ukuqiniseka ukuba sisonke sizenza kakuhle iziseko zokuqala size emva koko sakhele phezu kwezo ziseko ukuphucula ukufundisa nokufunda okusemgangathweni kwizikolo zethu.

Izinto emazenzeke nakanjani na ezingaxoxisiyo (Non-negotiables)

IPhulo lokuJolisa kwiZiseko zokuFunda (Foundations for Learning Campaign) liya kumisela isiseko esiluqilima kwiilwimi nakwimathematika kwisigaba sesiseko nesiphakathi. Umlinganiselo weso siseko uya kuba kukuba siya kuphucula inqanaba lokupasa komfundi kwiilwimi nakwimathematika lingabi ngaphantsi kwama-50% kwiminyaka emine yokuqhubeka kwephulo. Ngo-2011, siya kuqhuba uvavanyo (evaluation) lukazwelonke, oluya kuhlola (assess) ulwazi lwabafundi kwiilwimi nakwimathematika kweloMzantsi Afrika.

Ukuze kuphumelele oku, eli phulo liya kufuna ezi zinto zilandelayo:

• Ukuba iklasi nganye ibe nezibonelelo (resources) ezifanelekileyo zokufundisa ngempumelelo. Uluhlu lwezi zibonelelo zingundoqo lukwigazethi karhulumente engeli phulo, eyapapashwa ngowe-14 Matshi 2008. Isikolo ngasinye masiqinisekise ukuba utitshala ngamnye ubuncinane unazo ezona zibonelelo zingundoqo eklasini.
• Ukuba ootitshala bayacwangcisa kwaye bafundisa ngendlela eyiyo. Bonke ootitshala kulindeleke ukuba babe seziklasini zabo bafundise izifundo ezicwangcisiweyo ngethuba lokufundisa. Ithayimthebhile mayifune ukuba wonke umfundi oseprayimari athathe inxaxheba ekufundeni esikolweni imizuzu engama-30 yonke imihla, abhale umsebenzi omde obhalwayo (extended writing) ofanele ibakala, enze izibalo zentloko (mental maths) imizuzu eli-10 nezibalo ezibhalwayo imizuzu engama-20 yonke imihla.
• Ukuba iiforam zootitshala zezithili zisekwe kuzo zonke izithili. Ootitshala kulindeleke ukuba babe ngamalungu eforam yesithili, okanye iforam yesikolo, ukuze bakwazi ukwabelana ngeembono, ngamava nangezona ndlela zibhetele zokufundisa baze ootitshala bakwazi ukuphucula iindlela zabo zokufundisa.
• Ukuba ootitshala bavavanye inkqubo yabafundi qho. ISebe leMfundo Iiya kukhupha iimvavanyo zomgangatho ofanayo zize iziphumo zezi mvavanyo zinikwe i-ofisi yesithili apho iziphumo zesikolo ngasinye ziya kuthunyelwa khona, zidluliselwe kwi-ofisi yephondo, ze zize kufika apha kule ofisi yam. Ukuncedisa ootitshala ekwenzeni imisebenzi yovavanyo rhoqo ngokomgaqo-sikhokelo (continuous assessment framework), isebe lam liya kunika amanqanaba (milestones) ekulindeleke ukuba kufikelelwe kuwo kwimathematika nakwiilwimi ngekota kwibakala ngalinye. Zonke izikolo ziya kunikwa iimvavanyo zonyaka ezisekelwe kwiimvavanyo zekota.

Ezo zinto zizinto "emazenzeke nakanjani na ezingaxoxisiyo" zePhulo lokuJolisa kwiZiseko zokuFunda.

Ingxelo kaMcKinsey ngezona nkqubo zemfundo zitshatsheleyo kwihlabathi liphela ibonisa ukuba ezona nkqubo zemfundo zibhetele zigxininisa izinto ezintathu ezibalulekileyo: bafumana ezona titshala zitshatsheleyo ekufundiseni (baqesha isinye esithathwini sabona bafundi bapase izidanga emagqabini); bafumana okona kubhetele kootitshala; baye bangenelele apho abafundi baqala khona ukusala ezifundweni (start to lag behind).

Sicela zonke iinqununu zingenelele ekuthinteleni ukusalela kwabafundi ezifundweni. Eyona njongo ingundoqo yobunqununu kukukhokela nokulawula kuzo zonke iinkalo esikolweni. Njengeenkokeli, iinqununu zimisela iithagethi zezikolo zazo zize ziyile izicwangciso apho zikhuthaza zize ziphembelele ootitshala nabafundi bazo ukuba baziphumeze ezi thagethi. Njengabaphathi, baqinisekisa ukuba ezi thagethi ziyaphunyezwa.

Silindele zonke iinqununu zezikolo zikarhulumente ziqulunqe isicwangciso esichaza indlela inkqubo yokufunda eya kuphuculwa ngayo esikolweni. Luxanduva lwenqununu nganye ukulawula nokuxhasa ootitshala kwiinzame zabo zokuphucula ulwazi lwabafundi lokufunda, ukubhala, ukubala (count) nokwenza izibalo (calculate) kwinqanaba elifanelekileyo.

Impumelelo yesi sicwangciso iya kulinganiswa ngokupasa kwabafundi kuvavanyo lomgangatho ofanayo (standardised assessment) lokuphela konyaka. Amagosa ee-ofisi zezithili aya kuququzelela ukuqokelelwa nokudityaniswa kwedatha yeemvavanyo zekota ngenjongo yokuyithumela kwiphondo.

Indima yabazali

Uxanduva lokufundisa abantwana bethu ukufunda, ukubhala nokwenza izibalo asiloxanduva lukatitshala kuphela. Olo xanduva kwabelwana ngalo kwakunye nabazali. Uxanduva lwabazali alupheleli ekuhlawuleni iifizi zesikolo, okanye imali yeteksi ukusa abantwana babo esikolweni esinika imfundo esemgangathweni. Luxanduva lwabo ukuqinisekisa ukuba abantwana babo bayawenza umsebenzi wesikolo wasekhaya (homework), nokuba abantwana babo bafunda kunye nabo okanye babafundela yonke imihla.

Abayi kuba abazali babanika nje kuphela esona siseko sibhetele ebomini, koko baya kuba kwakhona bakha ubudlelane obuliqilima (bond) obungenakuze buqhawuke kwaye oku kukodwa kubalulekile kwihlabathi jikelele apho abazali nabantwana bahlukana ngokulula babe zintsali.

Ikhwelo lethu linabela ngaphaya kwendawo encinane yabahlali abangqonge isikolo. Sibongoza abantu abaziwayo (public figures), imibutho yabasebenzi, oosomashishini abakhulu nabancinane, amaziko emfundo ephakamileyo, imibutho engeyoyanzuzo (non-profit organisations), ukuba ibambisane nabahlali abangqonge isikolo sakho kuloo ndawo ukuyo, banincedise ngayo nayiphi na indlela engenye eninayo ukuphumeza iinjongo zolwazi oluvunywa lihlabathi liphela ekufundeni, ekubhaleni nasekwenzeni izibalo.

Siyakwazi esinqwenela ukufikelela kuko kwinkqubo yethu yemfundo. Kwisigaba sesiseko abafundi mabafunde indlela yokufunda, ukubhala, ukubala nokwenza izibalo ngokuzithemba nangengqiqo.

Kwisigaba esiphakathi, abafundi mabandise ulwazi lwabo ekufundeni, ekubhaleni nasekwenzeni izibalo. Mababe sele bekufundile ukufunda ukuze bakwazi ukufundela ukuzuza imfundo. Xa abafundi befika kwisikolo esiphakamileyo, mababe nako ukusebenza nootitshala babo eklasini kodwa bakwazi ukuqhubeka ngezifundo zabo nangaphandle kwegumbi lokufundela kuba sebefundile ukuba ngabafundi abazimeleyo.

Kweli phulo, sibongoza uluntu lwaseMzantsi Afrika ukuba lujoyine luzimisele ngokungagungqiyo ukuqinisekisa ukuba ootitshala bayafundisa, iinqununu ziyalawula, abafundi bayafunda, yaye abazali bayayixhasa imfundo yabantwana babo.

Sisebenzisana kunye, sinokuqinisekisa ukuba wonke umfundi uya kuba nalo ithuba lokuxhamla ubomi obubhetele kwixa elizayo. Ukuqalela kumntwana oseKapa ukuya kumntwana oseLimpopo, ukufunda, ukubhala, ukubala nokwenza izibalo kuya kubathatha kubase phambili kakhulu kuphuhliso ngale nkulungwane yama-21.