Khanyisa - special school, special children

Khanyisa opened its doors in 1994 – the year of the historical elections. Everyone hoped for something new and the young school fitted well into this vision. Since then Khanyisa traveled a long way and (in spite of several difficulties) has developed well for those children, who exactly need this school.

Considering the history of South Africa, then the peaceful elections in 1994 and consequent development in the country, South Africa is a miracle. But the development of our school often seems also to be a small miracle. We started for three children, whose parents desired Waldorf education for them, but they needed more support than the mainstream Waldorf schools in Cape Town could offer. After many searching we found a teacher and our new school Khanyisa ("to bring the light") could start.

Our first home was a single room in a synagogue. The direction we were going should change soon - according to the needs. 1998 we re-defined our goals. Anyway our vision was and is: "In every child there is buried a treasure... it is only a matter of knowing how to discover it". But now we decided to only cater for children and young adults who have a permanent disability, coupled with a learning difficulty, that cannot be met through remedial education alone.

The children and young people at Khanyisa cannot be grouped into any single category, but most fall slightly below the academic level of mainstream schools. Children, that for various reasons, cannot cope with the clamour and demands of a large class and methods of teaching that mostly engage only their intellect. Parents come to Khanyisa desperate to help their child as they notice him / her withdrawing, losing confidence and self esteem, not learning even the basics of reading or writing and, often, developing behaviour that is unbalanced and self destructive.

Gaining confidence

You don´t believe what we experience each day. I will tell you about Philip. He came to Khanyisa at the beginning of 2005. He comes from a wealthy home in Cape Town. He was constantly being tested by experts as he was physically awkward and could not manage in school. He received every therapy available - occupational therapy, play therapy and therapy for anxiety. He was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder and placed on Ritalin, and later on anti depressants. At aged 10 he developed tics and spasms and was tested for epilepsy and medicated. Eventually he was put into a very expensive school where there is a strong remedial department...

Philip arrived at Khanyisa morose, angry, critical and very anxious, at first he only ever wore black. He was unable to open up with the other children in the school and exploded into angry tantrums if they tried to tease him or interact too much. At home he would storm into his bedroom and slam the door. At first he regularly saw the kinesiologist and received curative eurythmy.

By the end of last year I managed to take a photograph of him smiling. As this year has progressed he has completely changed. He no longer has any therapies at all. He manages his anger, he verbalises his thoughts and ideas and mixes freely with the other children.

In the first year he constantly came into the office asking to go home because he was unwell, yesterday he came in and I realised I had not seen him in months. I mentioned this and he laughed.

There are many stories similar to this. At Khanyisa the children are free of the pressure to perform. Many start here and cannot participate in anything because in their previous school they were used not to being able to do anything.

I remember hearing how one of the children asked if she should join the rest of the class assembled in the circle, as she was so used to being excluded in her previous classes. She just sat at her desk until the teacher asked her why. The children grow, often slowly, to understand that they can also manage tasks and gradually, as their confidence grows, they are willing to try more difficult tasks.

Worries and dreams

But the Department of Education has adopted a policy of inclusive education and, over the past five years, has cut back dramatically on help available to students who cannot manage in a "regular" class. The Department supports our work and even refer students here, but the present needs in government schools and meeting the backlogs created in the past, has forced them to cutback on special needs education and concentrate on the majority of South African children and young people. There are still schools in some areas that have 60 children in a class and minimal infrastructure! But under such conditions – how can "inklusive education" ever be a solution for children like ours?

Anyway, we want to be open for families from every background. 35% of our families pay less than a quarter of the necessary fees and 73% less than half. Of the running costs of the school 60% are fundraised locally and overseas.

In the beginning of 2006 a sixth class, of 8 and 9 year old children was started. School opened in January with 64 students, nine full-time staff and eleven part-time staff. A generous donation enabled us to construct two new pre-fabricated classrooms. These are now occupied by Class 7 / 8 and Class 5, whose classrooms were so small they had to clamber over desks to get to the front of their classroom.

In order to care for the environment and involve our local the community more in the school, in 2004 the recycling workshop was started. Now Bulelani and Garth, former students at the school, regularly make their tour and collect material and sell it to a recycling company.

Without greater changes we can´t grow further. Our "hall" is barely big enough for all children and teacher, some parents and a small stage. There is almost no place for handwork and other issues, but until now we managed somehow. The land is rented from the local authorities. We share it with the Centre for Creative Education and the eurythmy school.

It is our dream to one day provide tertiary education and working opportunities for some of our school leavers. The heavy unemployment and huge shortage of schools for young people with special needs in South Africa makes finding work and further study possibilities for our school leavers difficult.

Out in the world our torch is carried by many people that support us financially, but more than that, have us in their minds and thoughts. This too ensures that Khanyisa continues and we are grateful.

When the Hague Circle visited Khanyisa I asked what a definition of a typical Waldorf School would be: the answer, a place where children are happy and can be themselves. This we have achieved..

Eileen Parker

Donation key word: 4407 Khanyisa

* The Hague Circle is an international organ of the Waldorf movement connected with the Pedagogical Section.