A proud group of 13 parents whose children go to the Muhammadeyah Pre Primary School in Wynberg proudly graduated with certificates of the Home School Partnership Programme, an initiative driven by Zainab Ismail who has been teaching at the school for the past 40 years.
Since 2005 Wordworks, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has dedicated itself to engaging parents to help their children improve their academic performance.
“But working parents don’t always have time to tend to their children’s needs apart from ensuring that they receive quality standard education.
“As such, we were encouraged by Wordworks to invite parents to an eight-session workshop on Saturdays.”
She said these parents whose six-year-olds were not on par compared to their peers at the same level, were identified and invited.
She boasted that they successfully managed to pique their 13 parents’ interests as each and every one of them attended all eight workshops spanning over eight weeks.
“What was so amazing is that it was not only the moms so commonly concerned about their children’s schooling, but dads too.
“Grandparents, too, got involved since they are often secondary caregivers to children after school,” she added.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Saturday 5 August, one of the parents, Zainub Khan, gave thanks for the opportunity to learn.
“This has been a blessing I received as a parent, as I am now enabled to progress daily in being a better parent to my kids.
“There is no handbook to parenting as every child develops differently, but this programme has enabled a community of like-minded parents in understanding common challenges, interactive sessions and coming up with real-time solutions.
“Equipping us with tools and techniques and the creation of a network with a common goal of shaping the minds of our little ones,” Khan related.
They learned how to support their children’s learning and development in a more interactive and conversational manner “driving our kids’ ” thinking and creative imagination. Our kids learn and develop every day, so why should we not”?
Shameemah Holliday, a fellow graduate at the ceremony, said that ever since her firstborn attended school, she dreaded the idea of homework being put in front of her.
“When my first-born started school in January, I was terrified. Terrified because I didn’t know how I was going to assist her with her homework, as I myself haven’t sat with a book in more than a decade.”
Luckily, the Home School Partnership liberated her and her child to grab every learning opportunity together.
“Wordworks supplied us with educational material which was taught to us by the teachers and facilitator of Muhammadeyah, Zianab Ismail. The classes taught me to have patience with my child as she’s not on my level.
“Also that positive calm communication is one of the key factors when interacting with our little ones. I learned that the world can be your classroom.
“You don’t need expensive learning materials. You can use objects that you already have within your home.”
Holliday learned that kids learn better and remember well when one turns teaching into a game.
“They have so much fun that they stay focused and interested.”
