- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Eco school teaches snake handling alongside maths and science
- Date: 28th July 2011
- Summary: HOEDSPRUIT, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) CHILDREN RUNNING FROM JUNIOR CLASSROOM TO PLAYGROUND VARIOUS OF CHILDREN WITH HEADMASTER ANTHONY DE BOER CLEARING UP RUBBISH FROM SCHOOL YARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTHONY DE BOER, HEADMASTER OF SOUTHERN CROSS SCHOOL SAYING: "When children have been influenced by urban environments, and their parents think that it's a good idea for them to come here and they're not necessarily sold on the idea, then initially it can be a bit of a challenge. We've had a few of those, but unbelievably then they suddenly do realize the value of being in a place like this." GRADE 12 PUPIL PRECIOUS RATSHANA WALKING ACROSS SENIOR SCHOOL YARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRECIOUS RATSHANA, GRADE 12 STUDENT SAYING: "I'm from the township so it was very difficult to like, being around snakes and stuff. It was just… yah. So it was very difficult getting adjusted to having creepy-crawly kind of things, but I got over that fear and then it was nice. It's very nice to be in the nature and just quiet and it's very nice." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS HANDLING PYTHON IN NATURAL HISTORY LESSON OUTSIDE CHILDREN WALKING OUT OF CLASSES (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRECIOUS RATSHANA, GRADE 12 STUDENT SAYING: "Well, it was very quiet, especially that Joburg is a very noisy place, and I guess, you know, the influences out there don't get to you here. You feel safe, you feel like, you know, I'm here to learn and nothing else is going to be, you know, disrupting me, and that's the nice thing about it. I get a one on one education, I don't have to worry about being in a class of like 35 kids if I were to go to a township, which would have been the case." STUDENTS SITTING AT OUTDOOR TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTHONY DE BOER, HEADMASTER OF SOUTHERN CROSS SCHOOL SAYING: "I think that the real idea is to make ourselves a true school for the planet, and to link with as many biospheres internationally as possible, so that our children become real global environmental warriors if you want to call them that." VARIOUS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN IN CLASS
- Embargoed: 12th August 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa, South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Education,Environment / Natural World,Quirky,Education
- Reuters ID: LVA7PPJXV95IBWQBX38BAFNSNPXB
- Story Text: Hoedspruit, a small town in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, borders on the Kruger National Park. Locals have long been involved in nature conservation but now children in the area are getting to understand their environment too.
Southern Cross School was created by a pair of mothers who wanted to encourage young people in the area to take a more active interest in their surroundings. It's a boarding school where children take the usual classes in maths, literature and science. But natural history lessons, animal handling, rubbish collection and environmental science are also part of curriculum.
Surrounded by lush grounds within an area called the Kruger to Canyon Biosphere (K2C), the school takes junior and senior children from a range of backgrounds, including kids from poor urban neighbourhoods in the capital Johannesburg.
"When children have been influenced by urban environments, and their parents think that it's a good idea for them to come here and they're not necessarily sold on the idea, then initially it can be a bit of a challenge. We've had a few of those, but unbelievably then they suddenly do realise the value of being in a place like this," said Headmaster Anthony De Boer.
Grade 12 student Precious Ratshana comes from Soweto, the sprawling working-class suburbs outside Johannesburg. When she arrived at the school, she'd never been far from her neighbourhood and says getting used to being so close to snakes and spiders was the toughest part.
"I'm from the township so it was very difficult to like, being around snakes and stuff. It was just... yah very difficult getting adjusted to having creepy-crawly kind of things, but I got over that fear and then it was nice. It's very nice to be in the nature and just quiet," she said.
Precious got financial assistance to attend the school from a family friend and says one the best things about attending the unusual school is the fact there are few distractions.
"I'm here to learn and nothing else is going to be disrupting me, and that's the nice thing about it. I get a one-on-one education, I don't have to worry about being in a class of 35 kids if I were to go to a township, which would have been the case, and it's nice to know that I've got a privilege like this. I'm really grateful," said Precious.
The school has gained a reputation for itself as a place of academic excellence as well as somewhere to get close to nature and headmaster Anthony de Boer says the plan is to try and roll out the format to other areas of outstanding national beauty all over the world.
"I think that the real idea is to make ourselves a true school for the planet, and to link with as many biospheres internationally as possible, so that our children become real global environmental warriors, if you want to call them that," he said.
So far the school has already linked up with a similar institute in Germany where Precious and her classmates are due to visit later this year for an exchange. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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