The Remarkable Educators Ensuring Groote Schuur’s Young Patients Don’t Fall Behind

Principal Rosetta Cupido (pictured left), who runs the Groote Schuur school along with teacher Natasha van Jaarsveld. Photo Credit: Heroes of Groote Schuur via Facebook

At the Groote Schuur Hospital is a school run by two dedicated educators who are doing far more than keeping young patients up to date with schoolwork. They are enriching minds with gentle care while restoring hope to children facing some of life’s toughest battles.

Cape Town, South Africa (23 June 2026) – In the Western Cape, there are only five hospital schools, and Groote Schuur Hospital is home to one of them. It offers an educational and engaging environment for young patients, so they don’t miss out on learning while being hospitalised for extended periods.

Currently run by two remarkable educators, Principal Rosetta Cupido and teacher Natasha van Jaarsveld, the school is led with great care and attention. Together they work to ensure children continue learning literacy, numeracy, mathematics, language and life orientation within the school curriculum.

“When I came here in 2013, I took over from a teacher who had worked here since the 1950s – she had been here her entire working life,” shares Rosetta.

“Since 2013, the school has been made up of me and fellow teacher Natasha van Jaarsveld, who joined shortly after me. I got involved in special school education very early in my career, worked at a number of schools before getting the post here, and have been here ever since.”

Teaching with patience and compassion

Rosetta and Natasha support and teach learners from Grades 7 to 12, many of whom are chronic patients. To ensure they don’t fall behind or drop out of school, learners are assessed, tested and provided with learning support to help them get back on track in the education system.

Requiring a gentler approach than the standard classroom environment, these educators work with the understanding that each child is different and has different needs.

“When we first meet the child, we’ll ask what they were doing in school and what they were busy with, so we know where we can assist. But most importantly, we ask: ‘What do you need?’”

“When it comes to working with children who are often very ill, it requires a different set of skills. You can’t come to a child who is lying there in pain and say, ‘Let’s do some algebra.’ We have to do things gently and work at their pace. We get to know them first and make them feel safe,” Rosetta explains.

Over the years, Natasha and Rosetta have developed a method that allows them to assess children while responding to their unique needs.

A couple of years ago, they were given a space at the hospital to transform into a classroom, which has been wonderful for the children. The Department of Education also donated laptops and assistive devices for those who need them.

Numerous success stories have come out of this special hospital school. Children have rejoined the system, caught up with schoolwork, strengthened their subject skills and passed their subjects, all while receiving emotional support as they face personal health battles.

For Rosetta and Natasha, teaching is a calling, and this particular niche is deeply fulfilling. It impacts young lives and restores hope for distraught parents walking difficult paths with their children.

“It’s not just about the educational support; it’s also about the emotional support. To be there for the child and lift them up in their time of need. That is what takes preference. Yes, we have to do schoolwork, but for us, school is secondary to the child’s emotional needs.”