Clinical PerspectiveAfrica's orphan crisis — is it the teacher's concern?

The fact that almost 15% of children in 11 of the 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are orphans is daunting indeed. This reality of large numbers of orphans should be one of sub-Saharan Africa's greatest concerns. It is not only the emotional impact of the pandemic that is at stake, but also the social and economic fabric of entire societies. Up until now, very little attention has been given to the fact that these children must grow towards adulthood without the guidance of their parents. The focus of this study is therefore formulated in the following research question: what do orphans need to reach adulthood, and how can teachers support them in reaching responsible adulthood? In identifying what defines adulthood in a specific context, the researcher has a closer look at the role of cultural value systems. The assumption is made that culture is a broad abstraction that includes a society's forms of knowledge, belief systems, languages, religion and values; these become imperative in guiding children towards adulthood. Deriving from this assumption that culture and context play a vital role in people's understanding of the concept of adulthood, one can assume that this understanding will be different for each particular group. In the absence of parents, the school can be seen as the most important agent (loco parentis) in addressing the needs of vulnerable children. Planning a curriculum that addresses the needs of these vulnerable children will have to be reconsidered. The full impact of the diversity of learners and their communities will have to be accommodated in all planning. As the number of orphans in schools increases, and the role of teachers in guiding these young learners to adulthood becomes more prominent, it is recommended that a thorough investigation be conducted into the importance of individual and community interpretations of ‘proper adulthood' within individual communities.Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2007, 19(1): 75–8

Educators\' views on the needs and support of HIV/AIDS orphans in their psychosocial development

Objective — Educators' perceptions of the psychosocial needs of HIV/AIDS orphans are important in supporting these children. The objective of this research is to determine the view of educators regarding the psychosocial needs of HIV/AIDS affected children. Method — A questionnaire, based on a thorough literature study was administered to determine the views of teachers. A convenient sample of 120 teachers from different schools, who attended a workshop organised for the primary schools in a particular school district in Tswane was used. Results — Only about half of the educators indicated that their schools provided support for HIV/AIDS orphans. Lack of food and clothing were viewed as the most pressing physical needs of the orphans. The desire for security, acceptance, dealing with stress, managing fears and psychological support services were identified as important psychological needs. Lack of security was seen as the most important factor affecting the psychosocial behaviour of these learners. Depression, sadness and stigmatisation were viewed as primary influences on behaviour. Teaching position, gender and age significantly influenced educators' views of various aspects of the learners' needs and behaviours. Conclusion — These findings have important implications for the training of educators to support learners and caregivers of children affected by the disease. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2005, 17(1): 13–2

Meeting teacher expectations in a DL professional development programme - a case study for sustained applied competence as programme outcome

Meeting teacher expectations for a professional development programme (PDP) is expected to strengthen sustainable applied competence as programme outcome since teachers will be more motivated to apply the programme content in practice. A revised distance learning (DL) programme was augmented by a practical component comprising a work-integrated portfolio and audio-visual material, aimed to support the applied competence of practising teachers in the South African context. An evaluation of the way the programme measured up to teacher expectations was deemed critical for future DL programme design. A qualitative study based on an interpretivist philosophical approach collected data of teacher expectations for and of the practical component through multiple methods. Their contributions were linked with four main themes related to applied competence as identified in the literature. Participant expectations and experiences with regards to each theme were compared by means of electronic coding through ATLASti™. The findings show a strong correlation between expectations for and experiences of the way the practical component supports the elements of applied competence. Since DL is viewed as a viable and cost effective way to improve teacher competence in developing countries, these findings serve as impetus for further investigation and refining ways to support applied competence in a distance learning professional development programme (DL PDP)

The value of introducing sensopathic materials in a play pedagogy programme during the reception year

Rich play enhances the child’s engagement during play, and this improves the potential for learning. This study examines the place of sensory materials focused on visual and tactile stimuli (sensopathic material) during guided play to improve learning in the reception year. Interviews with teachers and observation of the children while playing with sensopathic material were used to generate qualitative data at five schools that applied different play pedagogies. It was found that using sensopathic materials during play enriched young children’s play experience and increased their engagement. The critical role of teachers in the play process and the management of play was explored with the focus on facilitating learning both inside and outside the classroom using readily available sensopathic materials. This article creates awareness of the value of using sensopathic materials and illustrates how careful planning can enhance young children’s engagement during play and create learning opportunities in a playful manner.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ciey20hj2023Early Childhood Educatio