Zithulele Independent School was founded in 2016 by a group of parents and community members from a remote village in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. We serve a diverse range of families - probably quite uniquely so among South African schools - with 60% of our children coming from the local community and the balance from families working at NGOs or the nearby hospital. This mixture of language, race and socioeconomic backgrounds makes for a wonderfully vibrant – and challenging – teaching context.
The school is registered as a Non-Profit Company with CIPC, and is in the process of being registered as a Public Benefit Organisation with SARS, as a Non-Profit Organisation with the Department of Social Development, and with the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Fees are charged on a sliding scale based on each household's income. All families contribute towards fees. Currently, 70% of learners have a fees subsidy.
Zithulele Independent School is focussed on providing a safe and nurturing environment in which children can develop their individual potential. The classes are intentionally small to allow learning to be individualised and experiential. The grade R class functions on Montessori principles in order to foster child-led learning right from the start.
Each class has an English-speaking teacher and an isiXhosa-speaking assistant so that, while the language of instruction is mostly English, children can access help and information in either language. The aim is that, in time, the children will become dual-literate.
As of the start of 2017, the school consists of a grade R class and a mixed-grade 1 and 2 class. The intention is to add a class each year.
The school is registered as a Non-Profit Company with CIPC, and is in the process of being registered as a Public Benefit Organisation with SARS, as a Non-Profit Organisation with the Department of Social Development, and with the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Fees are charged on a sliding scale based on each household's income. All families contribute towards fees. Currently, 70% of learners have a fees subsidy.
Zithulele Independent School is focussed on providing a safe and nurturing environment in which children can develop their individual potential. The classes are intentionally small to allow learning to be individualised and experiential. The grade R class functions on Montessori principles in order to foster child-led learning right from the start.
Each class has an English-speaking teacher and an isiXhosa-speaking assistant so that, while the language of instruction is mostly English, children can access help and information in either language. The aim is that, in time, the children will become dual-literate.
As of the start of 2017, the school consists of a grade R class and a mixed-grade 1 and 2 class. The intention is to add a class each year.
