One of the biggest challenges facing all the schools in the Foundation is the ability to have enough teachers in the schools. Unlike their more affluent counterparts who are able to fund Governing Body posts, our poor schools have to make do with the allocated teaching posts. This results in

• classes that are much larger than optimal or
• a class having children from different mother tongue homes, and thus being taught in a language in which they are not fully competent, or
• teachers having to cover two grades in the same classroom.  

As a result, the Foundation seeks to fund Governing Body, as well as to provide part time administrative assistants who can relieve teachers of some of their admin. To date, some posts have been funded directly by donors, but the imminent loss of one of them has forced a change of strategy.

The Foundation has established a dedicated Teachers’ Fund, the income from which will fund these positions (capital may not be touched). Donors believing in the importance of this initiative are encouraged to contribute directly to this fund. South African donors qualify for both tax deductions and BBBEE points by contributing to the DSF.