Ukufundisa—Lokho Okuhilelekile Kanye Nezingozi
“Kulindeleke okukhulu kakhulu kothisha, kodwa ngokuvamile umphakathi awubancomi othisha abazinikele ezikoleni zethu . . . ngemizamo yabo.”—UKen Eltis, e-University of Sydney, e-Australia.
KUMELWE kuvunywe ukuthi lo “msebenzi obaluleke kakhulu” njengoba uye wabizwa kanjalo, unezinkinga eziningi—kusukela eholweni elincane kuya ezimweni ezingezinhle emakilasini; kusukela emsebenzini wamaphepha omningi kuya emakilasini anezingane eziningi ngokweqile; kusukela ekungahloniphini kanye nodlame kuya kubazali abanganaki. Abanye othisha babhekana kanjani nalezi zinselele?
Ukuntuleka Kwenhlonipho
Sabuza othisha abane eNew York City ukuthi yiziphi izinkinga abazibheka njengezinkulu. Bonke baphendula ngokuthi: “Ukuntuleka kwenhlonipho.”
UWilliam waseKenya wathi izinto ziye zashintsha kulesi sici nase-Afrika. Wathi: “Izingane azisenasimilo. Ngesikhathi ngisakhula [manje uneminyaka eyevile kwengu-40 ubudala], othisha babephakathi kwabantu abahlonishwa kakhulu emphakathini wase-Afrika. Abancane nabadala babebheka othisha njengabantu abayisibonelo. Le nhlonipho isiyaphela. Kancane kancane isiko laseNtshonalanga selithonya izingane, ngisho nasemaphandleni e-Afrika. Amabhayisikobho, ama-video nezincwadi zibonisa ukungazihloniphi iziphathimandla njengento ewubuqhawe.”
UGiuliano, ofundisa e-Italy, uyakhononda: “Izingane zithonywa umoya wokuhlubuka, ukuvukela nokungalaleli ogcwele emphakathini wonke.”
Izidakamizwa Nobudlova
Ngokudabukisayo, izidakamizwa seziyinkinga ezikoleni—kakhulu kangangokuthi uthisha wase-United States ongumlobi uLouAnne Johnson uyabhala: “Ukuvimbela ukudliwa kwezidakamizwa cishe kuyingxenye yohlelo lwezifundo lwazo zonke izikole, kusukela enkulisa. [Omalukeke sizenzele.] Izingane zazi okuningi ngezidakamizwa . . . ukwedlula iningi labantu abadala.” Uyanezela: “Izingane ezizizwa zingenalusizo, zingathandwa, zinesithukuthezi noma zingalondekile kungenzeka ukuba zizame izidakamizwa.”—Two Parts Textbook, One Part Love.
UKen, onguthisha e-Australia, wabuza: “Othisha bethu bazosebenzelana kanjani nengane eneminyaka engu-9 ubudala eyafundiswa abazali bayo ukudla izidakamizwa futhi manje esingumlutha wazo?” UMichael, oneminyaka eyevile kwengu-30 ubudala, ufundisa esikoleni esinemfundo ebanzi eJalimane. Uyabhala: “Sazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi ukushushumbiswa kwezidakamizwa kukhona; ukuthi nje azivamile ukubanjwa.” Uphawula nangokuntuleka kwesiyalo futhi uthi “kubonakala esimweni sokuthambekela ekucekeleni phansi izinto,” enezela: “Kungcoliswa amatafula nezindonga, futhi ifenisha icekelwa phansi. Abanye babafundi bami baye baboshwa amaphoyisa ngenxa yokweba noma okunye okunjalo. Yingakho nje ukweba kwandile esikoleni!”
U-Amira ufundisa eSifundazweni saseGuanajuato, eMexico. Uyavuma: “Sibhekana nezinkinga zokuthi ekhaya kunobudlova nokuluthwa yizidakamizwa okuzithinta ngokuqondile izingane. Zichayeké esimweni lapho zifunda khona ulimi olungcolile nezinye izinto ezimbi. Enye inkinga enkulu ubumpofu. Nakuba kungakhokhwa mali yesikole lapha, abazali kudingeka bathenge izincwadi, amapeni nezinye izinto. Kodwa ukudla kufanele kuze kuqala.”
Izibhamu Esikoleni?
E-United States, izehlakalo zokudutshulwa kwabantu esikoleni muva nje ziye zaqokomisa ukuthi ubudlova obuhlobene nezibhamu abuyona neze inkinga encane kulelo zwe. Omunye umbiko uthi: “Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezibhamu ezingu-135 000 ezilethwa ezikoleni zezwe ezingu-87 125 usuku ngalunye. Ukuze banciphise izibhamu ezikoleni, abaphathi basebenzisa imishini yokusesha izikhali, amakhamera okugada, izinja eziqeqeshwe ngokukhethekile ukuze zithungathe izibhamu, basesha amakhabethe, bafuna omazisi futhi bavimbela ukuphathwa kwezikhwama zezincwadi esikoleni.” (Teaching in America) Izinyathelo ezinjalo zokuphepha zenza umuntu abuze, Sikhuluma ngezikole noma ngamajele? Lo mbiko unezela ngokuthi bangaphezu kuka-6 000 abafundi abaye baxoshwa ngenxa yokuza nezibhamu esikoleni!
U-Iris, onguthisha eNew York City, watshela i-Phaphama!: “Abafundi bangena nezikhali esikoleni ngasese. Imishini yokuzithungatha ayizitholi. Ukucekela phansi impahla esikoleni kungenye inkinga.”
Kulesi simo sokungalalelwa kwemithetho, othisha abathembekile bakuthola kunzima ukudlulisela imfundo nezimiso. Yingakho nje othisha abaningi beba nesifo sokucindezeleka futhi baphelelwe amandla. URolf Busch, umongameli weNhlangano Yothisha eThuringia, eJalimane, wathi: “Cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yothisha abayisigidi eJalimane iyagula ngenxa yokucindezeleka. Izizwa ingasenamandla okusebenza.”
Izingane Ezinabantwana
Enye inkinga enkulu ukuziphatha kwentsha ngokobulili. UGeorge S. Morrison, umlobi wethi Teaching in America, uthi ngalelo zwe: “Abasha abangaba yisigidi (amaphesenti angu-11 amantombazane aneminyaka engu-15 kuya kwengu-19) bayakhulelwa unyaka ngamunye.” I-United States inenani lentsha ekhulelwayo eliphakeme kunawo wonke amazwe athuthukile.
Lesi simo siqinisekiswa u-Iris, owathi: “Yonke intsha ikhuluma ngobulili namadili. Yazi lokho nje kuphela. Futhi manje sesine-Internet kuma-computer asezikoleni! Lokho kusho ukuthi kunamaqembu ezingxoxo nezithombe zobulili ezingcolile.” U-Angel waseMadrid, eSpain, wabika: “Ukuziphatha kobulili okuxekethile kuyinto ekhona kubafundi. Siye saba nabafundi abancane kakhulu ngeminyaka abaye bakhulelwa.”
“Abazanyana Abangcono”
Enye into abanye othisha abakhononda ngayo ukuthi abazali abaningi abazihluphi ngomthwalo wabo wokufundisa izingane ekhaya. Othisha banomuzwa wokuthi izingane kufanele zifundiswe abazali bazo kuqala. Imikhuba emihle nenhlonipho kufanele kuqale ekhaya. Yingakho uSandra Feldman, umongameli we-American Federation of Teachers, ethi “othisha . . . kufanele baphathwe njengabanye abantu abafundile hhayi njengabazanyana abangcono.”
Ngokuvamile abazali bayahluleka ukusekela isiyalo esinikezwa esikoleni. ULeemarys, ocashunwe esihlokweni esandulele, watshela i-Phaphama!: “Uma ubikela uthisha-nhloko ngezingane ezingamahlongandlebe, uzithola usuhlaselwa abazali!” UBusch, ocashunwe ekuqaleni, washo lokhu mayelana nokusebenzelana nabafundi abangezwa: “Ukufundiswa isimilo ekhaya sekuyanyamalala. Ngeke usasho ukuthi izingane eziningi ziphuma emikhayeni ezikhulisa kahle, ngendlela efanele.” U-Estela waseMendoza, e-Argentina, wathi: “Thina bothisha siyabesaba abafundi. Uma sibanika amamaki aphansi, basishaya ngamatshe noma basihlasele. Uma sinemoto, bayayiphohloza.”
Ingabe kuyamangalisa ukuthi kwamanye amazwe bayantuleka othisha? UVartan Gregorian, umongameli we-Carnegie Corporation of New York, waxwayisa: “Izikole zethu [zase-United States] ziyodinga izigidi ezingaba ngu-2,5 zothisha abasha eshumini leminyaka elizayo.” Amadolobha amakhulu “aphansi phezulu afuna othisha eNdiya, eWest Indies, eNingizimu Afrika, eYurophu nakwezinye izindawo lapho kungatholakala khona othisha abakahle.” Lokhu-ke kusho ukuthi lezo zindawo nazo zingase zintule othisha.
Kungani Othisha Bentuleka?
UYoshinori, uthisha waseJapane osefundise iminyaka engu-32, wathi “ukufundisa kuwumsebenzi omuhle onezisusa ezinhle, futhi uhlonishwa kakhulu emphakathini waseJapane.” Ngeshwa, akunjalo kuwo wonke amasiko. UGregorian, ocashunwe ekuqaleni, naye wathi othisha “abayitholi inhlonipho, ukuqashelwa neholo elibafanele. . . . Ukufundisa ezifundazweni eziningi [zase-United States] kuholela kancane kunanoma imuphi omunye umsebenzi odinga iziqu ze-bachelor noma ze-master.”
UKen Eltis, ocashunwe ekuqaleni, wabhala: “Kwenzekani uma othisha bethola ukuthi imisebenzi eminingi edinga iziqu ezingaphansi kwezabo iholela kakhulu kunokufundisa? Noma uma abafundi ababebafundisa ezinyangeni eziyishumi nambili ezidlule . . . sebehola ukwedlula bona noma kungenzeka babadlule eminyakeni emihlanu ezayo? Ukuqaphela lokho kufanele ukuba kuyawusongela umuzwa kathisha wokubaluleka.”
UWilliam Ayers wabhala: “Othisha bahola kancane kakhulu . . . Ngokwesilinganiso sihola ingxenye yesine yemali eholwa abameli, isigamu seholwa ababhali bamabhuku ezimali, futhi sihola ngaphansi kwabashayeli bamaloli nezisebenzi zalapho kwenziwa khona imikhumbi. . . . Awukho omunye umsebenzi odinga okukhulu kangaka kodwa oholela kancane kangaka.” (To Teach—The Journey of a Teacher) Endabeni efanayo, uJanet Reno, owayengummeli omkhulu wase-United States, wathi ngo-November 2000: “Singathumela abantu enyangeni. . . . Abagijimi bethu sibaholela enhle imali. Kungani singenakubaholela othisha bethu?”
ULeemarys uthi: “Othisha bahola kancane. Nakuba ngafunda iminyaka eminingi, ngisahola iholo elincane ngonyaka lapha eNew York City, kanye nazo zonke izingcindezi nezithiyo zokuphila kwasedolobheni elikhulu.” UValentina, uthisha waseSt. Petersburg, eRussia, wathi: “Umsebenzi kathisha awubongwa uma kuziwa eholweni. Selokhu kwathi nhló othisha bahola imali engaphansi kwesilinganiso esivamile.” UMarlene waseChubut, e-Argentina, uzizwa ngendlela efanayo: “Iholo elincane lisiphoqelela ukuba sisebenze ezindaweni ezimbili noma ezintathu, sehle senyuka. Lokhu kubulala ikhono lethu ngempela.” U-Arthur, uthisha waseNairobi, eKenya, watshela i-Phaphama!: “Njengoba umnotho uwa, akulula ukuphila kwami njengothisha. Njengoba abaningi ozakwethu bengavuma, iholo elincane libathena amandla abantu ekubeni bakhethe umsebenzi wethu.”
UDiana, uthisha waseNew York City, wakhononda ngomsebenzi omningi wamaphepha odla isikhathi esiningi sikathisha. Omunye uthisha wabhala: “Isikhathi esiningi sosuku usichitha ezintweni eziwumkhuba, eziphindwaphindwayo neziyinqubo.” Okunye ukukhononda okuvamile kwakuwukuthi: “Amafomu adinga ukugcwaliswa, amafomu angenamsebenzi—usuku lonke.”
Bancane Othisha, Ziningi Izingane
UBerthold waseDüren, eJalimane, wazwakalisa okunye ukukhononda okuvamile: “Izingane ziningi kakhulu ekilasini! Amanye lapha anezingane ezingaba ngu-34. Lokhu kusho ukuthi asikwazi ukunaka izingane ezinezinkinga. Zisala zinjalo. Izidingo zengane ngayinye azinakwa.”
ULeemarys, ocashunwe ekuqaleni, wachaza: “Ngonyaka odlule, inkinga yami enkulu, ngaphandle kwabazali abangakhathaleli, kwakuwukuthi nganginezingane ezingu-35 ekilasini. Cabanga nje ukuzama ukufundisa izingane ezingu-35 ezineminyaka eyisithupha ubudala!”
U-Iris wathi: “Lapha eNew York othisha bayantuleka, ikakhulukazi abezibalo nesayensi. Bathola imisebenzi engcono kwenye indawo. Ngakho umkhandlu-dolobha uye waqasha othisha abaningi bakwamanye amazwe.”
Ngokusobala, ukufundisa kuwumsebenzi obizelayo. Pho yini egcina othisha benomdlandla? Kungani beqhubeka futhi bephikelela? Isihloko sethu sokugcina sizocabangela le mibuzo.
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Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezibhamu ezingu-135 000 ezilethwa ezikoleni zase-United States usuku ngalunye
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Yini Eyenza Uthisha Aphumelele?
Umchaza kanjani uthisha ophumelelayo? Ingabe umuntu ongathuthukisa inkumbulo yengane ukuze ibambe ngekhanda izinto futhi iphumelele ekuhlolweni? Noma ingabe umuntu ofundisa omunye ukuba abuze, acabange futhi aqonde? Ingabe umuntu osiza ingane ukuba ibe isakhamuzi esingcono?
“Uma thina njengothisha siqaphela ukuthi sibambisene nabafundi bethu ohambweni lokuphila olude nolunzima, lapho siqala ukubaphatha ngesizotha nangenhlonipho ebafanele njengabantu, khona-ke sisendleleni yokuba othisha abakahle. Kulula kanjalo nje—futhi kunzima kanjalo.”—To Teach—The Journey of a Teacher.
Uthisha okahle ubona ikhono lomfundi ngamunye futhi uyazi ukuthi angalenza kanjani lichume. UWilliam Ayers waphawula: “Kufanele sithole indlela engcono, indlela eyakha amandla, ulwazi, ubuciko namakhono . . . Ngikhumbula isicelo somzali ongowoMdabu waseMelika onengane eneminyaka emihlanu okwakuthiwa ‘iyisidomu’: ‘UWind-Wolf wazi amagama nemikhuba yokufuduka kwezinyoni ezingaphezu kwezingu-40. Uyazi ukuthi ukhozi lunezimpaphe zesisila ezingu-13. Umane nje udinga uthisha okwazi kahle lokho angakufinyelela.’”
Ukuze athole okungcono kakhulu enganeni ngayinye, uthisha kufanele athole ukuthi yini eyithakazelisayo noma eyishukumisayo nokuthi yini eyenza ingane yenze ngendlela ethile. Futhi uthisha ozinikele kumelwe azithande izingane.
[Umthombo]
United Nations/Photo by Saw Lwin
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Ingabe Ukufunda Kufanele Kuhlale Kumnandi?
Uthisha uWilliam Ayers wenza uhlu lwemibono eyishumi eyiphutha ngokufundisa. Omunye wawo uthi: “Othisha abaphumelelayo benza ukufunda kube mnandi.” Uyaqhubeka: “Into emnandi iyaphazamisa, iyahlekisa. Abenzi bamahlaya bayahlekisa. Amahlaya angaba mnandi. Ukufunda kungakukhandla, kukwenze ugxile, umangale, udideke futhi ngokuvamile uthokoze kakhulu. Uma kumnandi, kulungile. Kodwa akudingeki kube mnandi.” Uyanezela: “Ukufundisa kudinga ulwazi, ikhono, ubuciko, ukwahlulela okuhle nokuqonda okubanzi—futhi okubaluleke kakhulu kudinga umuntu ocabangelayo nokhathalelayo.”—To Teach—The Journey of a Teacher.
USumio waseNagoya City, eJapane, uthola le nkinga kubafundi bakhe: “Abafundi abaningi basesikoleni esiphakeme abanasithakazelo kunoma yini ngaphandle kokuthola okuthile okumnandi futhi okungadingi mzamo.”
URosa, umeluleki wabafundi waseBrooklyn, eNew York, wathi: “Isimo sengqondo esivamile kubafundi ukuthi ukufunda kuyisicefe. Uthisha unesicefe. Bacabanga ukuthi yonke into kufanele ibe mnandi. Bayakhohlwa ukuthi lokho okutholayo emfundweni kuwumphumela wemizamo yakho.”
Ukufuna ubumnandi kwenza kube nzima ngentsha ukuba yenze umzamo futhi izidele. USumio, ocashunwe ngenhla, wathi: “Iphuzu liwukuthi abakwazi ukucabanga ngezinto zesikhathi eside. Bambalwa kakhulu abafundi abasesikoleni esiphakeme abacabanga ukuthi uma bezikhandla entweni ethile manje, iyobasiza esikhathini esizayo.”
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UDIANA, E-U.S.A.
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‘Ukushushumbisa izidakamizwa kwandile kodwa azivamile ukubanjwa.’—UMICHAEL, EJALIMANE
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“Sibhekana nezinkinga zokuthi ekhaya kunobudlova nokuluthwa yizidakamizwa.”—U-AMIRA, EMEXICO
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“Othisha . . . kufanele baphathwe njengabanye abantu abafundile hhayi njengabazanyana abangcono.”—USANDRA FELDMAN, UMONGAMELI WE-AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS