CARE CENTRE
MISSIONVALE
the
Education
Education is one of the Missionvale Care Centre’s key foci. The Missionvale Care Centre Academy presently runs up until grade 6 and in 2015, the school will introduce a grade 7 class. Each class has roughly 30 students, besides the grade 5 and 6 classes who have 24 and 22 students respectively, with Afrikaans being the medium of instruction for the entire school.
Janine Barlow has been the principal of the Academy since January 2014. Since then, she and her team have worked hard to improve the state of education in this community and to give these students a chance for a better future.
As a means of keeping children off the street, the Academy has implemented various extra-curricular activities including: two reading classes (English and Afrikaans), two choirs, netball, soccer, a marimba band as well as ballroom dancing.
In November 2014, Barlow will be taking some of her students to participate in the National Dance Festival in Johannesburg. She stated that for many of them it would be the first time they get to travel.
The Academy is a non-government school and so had not at all been affected by the recent teacher strike that had occurred among many schools in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. “These teachers earn far less than government school teachers do and yet we never have any challenges with regards to strikes,” said Barlow.
She continued, stating that the Centre undoubtedly continues to contribute to the smooth running of the school.
"I need these children to finish high school, to go to university, to come back and make a difference in their society."
Janine Barlow
Janine Barlow, principal of the Missionvale Care Centre Academy, speaks about the school.