The arts are an important part of education which is why Breadline Africa sponsored a 60m² prefabricated creative arts classroom to Seven Steps Academy.
Western Cape, South Africa (15 February 2022) – “Equality in education is crucial in order to dissolve the social divides that exist in South African society,” says Marion Wagner, director of Breadline Africa. “A disability should not hinder a person’s opportunity to learn, and it’s up to our education system to ensure that this happens.”
Supporting the development of Seven Steps Academy for the Deaf, Breadline Africa contributed to the placement of a 60m² prefabricated classroom that will be used for arts and creative therapy lessons. On Friday, 11 February 2022, the new classroom was officially handed over to eager students.
“Understanding that creative arts and therapy plays an important role in the learning process of deaf and hearing-impaired learners, we saw it as a priority to provide them with the necessary infrastructure,” says Wagner.
The Seven Steps Academy accommodates 104 children, ranging from pre-grade R to grade 12. The school is distinctive in that the chosen method for teaching is the oral-aural method. This method of communication opens up more opportunities for students who have the potential to learn to speak. It is also the only oral-aural hearing-impaired school in the Western Cape that goes up to matric.
Many learners enrolled in the school come from underprivileged backgrounds and have lost their hearing due to syndromes, illness, and in some cases, neglect. For many, hearing loss was only identified in the first few years of school.
“There was a major need to add a new classroom to the facility due to a shortage of space and new learners coming into the school,” says Wagner. “The new classroom has been fitted with specialized charging sockets for hearing aids, acoustic panels and a visual fire alarm. All these components have been installed to create a conducive environment for learners to enjoy a creative activity. We commend the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works along with WCED for investing so significantly and transforming the derelict school into such a wonderful learning space. It took three years to ensure that the specialised needs of these learners are met. We are thrilled to have funded a classroom and to be part of this incredible venture.”
For the past 28 years, Breadline Africa has been working with children from disadvantaged communities, providing critical infrastructure, learning resources and running feeding programmes. “Equality in education is a big motivation for us to support schools like The Seven Steps Academy,” says Wagner. “Creating this functional space will support the school’s curriculum that will open up doors to a better future for these children.”
“We as educators are so appreciative of this opportunity to unlock our learners creative potential and give them another medium to express themselves”, says Lee Ann Kannemeyer, Principal of Seven Steps Academy. “We are in the process of trying to raise additional funding to purchase another mobile classroom to be used as a Language enrichment centre for our ECD children” says Kannemeyer.
To find out more about Breadline Africa and their work, visit www.breadline.org, or follow them on Facebook.
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