Overview and history of KICP

Prior to 2016, Inanda Seminary’s social development programme involved the school working in two primary schools running an afternoon oral literacy programme and bringing in FET science and maths students from a neighbouring high school for Saturday classes.

At the same time, the matric results of the students in the 20 Inanda North High Schools have been generally poor and the Seminary had on-going requests from neighbouring schools to develop principals, staff and students wherever possible.

The Khanyisa Inanda Community Project (KICP) was thus birthed officially at the beginning of 2016 and includes the following interventions:

  • A fully operative Saturday School Programme providing maths, science, and English classes for high school students
  • The SMILE primary school oral literacy programme
  • Professional development for teachers from community schools
  • Teacher-intern programme in Ndwedwe
  • ICT access for high school students - we are busy building a new computer centre which will also house the new offices for KICP

Teacher Professional Development

Opportunities for teacher professional development are provided for all the teachers from the schools involved in the Khanyisa Inanda Community Programme.

After discussions during 2016, with the principals of the schools, it was decided to start a series of short PD sessions which we called Teacher-Time (TT) in each of the community schools. We go into the schools in their long breaks and provide them with short instructional techniques which they can immediately use in their classrooms. The techniques are practical and easily implemented by the teachers.

SMILE Oral Literacy Programme

The SMILE programme takes place weekly on a Wednesday at Hilda Makhanya and Bonisanani Primary. This is after school from about 14:45 - 16:00. About 16 Inanda Seminary students go to these two schools and facilitate this oral English programme with the students there. This programme is offered to Grade 4 and Grade 5 students.

The students are placed into groups of 6-8, and each Inanda student facilitates FOUR activities with the students in her group. Each activity should take about 15 minutes to complete. The complete programme is made up of 4 or 5 Topics per Term.

The aim is to improve students’ confidence with regard to speaking English.

Testimony from one of the Inanda students involved in the SMILE programme:

One of the Inanda Seminary students involved in the programme commented that the project gives them an opportunity to build close relationships with the students at the primary schools and this is a way of giving to the community.

Start small to bring big change

How feasible are Communities of Practice (CoP) in poor functioning schools in KZN

“… getting good teaching for all learners require(s) teachers to be highly committed, thoroughly prepared, continuously developed, properly paid, well networked with each other to maximise their own improvement, and able to make effective judgements using all their capabilities and experience.”
Michael Fullan1

The Khanyisa Inanda Community Project (KICP) is a programme of the Inanda Seminary, the oldest black independent girls’ boarding schools in the country. Khanyisa’s aim and overall purpose is to work within the surrounding community public schools and ‘to improve access and equity in education’. Through a number of different interventions, KICP is attempting to ensure that ‘high quality education and professional development is available to disadvantaged students, teachers and leaders in these public schools in Inanda North and community schools in the greater Inanda area.’