JEFFREYS BAY – A youth employment initiative is providing 100 unemployed young people in the Kouga area with valuable work experience while strengthening support services at local schools.

The six-month programme, running from August to January 2027, is being implemented by the Humansdorp-based non-profit organisation, Sakhe Family Care Development Centre, in collaboration with GEM-SA.

Supporting teachers and learners

According to the Sakhe Family Care Development Centre founding director Thanduxolo Buka, at Makukhanye Primary School in Jeffreys Bay, 14 participants have been placed in teacher assistant and office administration roles, providing additional support to educators and learners.

He said the initiative was introduced to help address pressures faced by teachers while giving unemployed young people an opportunity to develop practical workplace skills.

“The programme aims to strengthen classroom capacity, ease the workload on teachers and improve learning outcomes by providing additional teaching assistance and resources,” said Buka.

He said the teacher assistants have received training covering classroom support skills, facilitation techniques, administrative tasks, as well as child development and inclusion.

Buka said the training was designed to equip participants with skills that could assist both teachers and learners.

He also said each of the 14 teacher assistants at Makukhanye Primary has been assigned to work alongside a designated teacher.

Easing the administrative burden

The initiative is also helping to reduce the administrative burden on teachers, giving them more time to focus on lesson planning, classroom instruction and individual learner support.

Buka said teachers had reported improvements in time management and lesson delivery, as well as greater use of interactive teaching methods.

“There has been a reduced administrative workload and less stress, while collaboration between teachers and assistants has strengthened,” said Buka.

He said the programme has also had a positive impact on learners and the classroom environment, with teacher assistants able to provide additional individual attention and help create more organised classrooms.

School management and teachers have reportedly described the assistants as reliable, efficient and proactive.

Working beyond midday

Buka said the school had noticed a significant difference on days when the assistants were not present.

“We received a request from the school for the teacher assistants’ working hours to be amended to make sure they are at work until the conclusion of the school day,” said Buka.

Further elaborating, he said initially, the assistants worked until 12 noon, but school management identified a gap after they left, particularly with learner supervision and classroom management.

Buka said Sakhe had subsequently arranged for their working hours to be extended until the end of the school day.

He said the experience had highlighted the importance of clear communication and flexibility when implementing programmes in schools.

“Clear role definitions and strong communication channels are essential to ensure smooth collaboration between teachers and assistants,” said Buka.

“Continuous training and professional development enhance effectiveness, while adaptability allows the programme to meet diverse classroom needs.”

Expanding support across Kouga

Buka said the initiative forms part of a wider teacher-support programme already being implemented at schools across the Kouga region.

He said Sakhe is currently working with three schools in Hankey, Patensie, Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay and Sea Vista.

Buka said the organisation hoped to continue supporting Makukhanye Primary beyond the current six-month programme and is in the process of applying for additional funding to sustain the initiative and participant stipends.

“We would love to continue supporting the school. We are currently applying for additional funding, as the current collaboration is for six months and we would need funding for the participants’ stipends,” said Buka.

He said for Sakhe, the initiative is about more than employment.

“Our organisation is passionate about community and youth development, and we believe these kinds of programmes are very beneficial to both the community and the youth,” said Buka.

He added that collaboration between community organisations and schools is important in improving educational outcomes and fostering a shared sense of responsibility for young people’s development.

School welcomes extra support

Makukhanye Primary School principal, Sabatha Manyali, said that having the teacher assistants at the school had been very helpful, with their absence immediately noticeable.

“We are already worried about what will happen when their contracts end because the teacher assistants play a critical role at the school,” said Manyali.

He said the school has large classroom numbers, making additional support particularly important for teachers.

“Our classroom numbers are big, and our teachers need assistance. The teacher assistants help in multiple sections of the school and do not solely focus on assisting teachers, which has been a great help to the school,” said Manyali.

He said the assistants had impressed the school with their discipline and eagerness to learn.

Manyali added that the school would feel their absence once the programme ends.

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