Overcoming barriers faced by rural learners

THE 2025 matriculants began their exams this week, but post the anxiety, stress, and effort required to pass the exams, for many, the stress and anxiety become louder.

For those learners who come from impoverished areas, the stress of finding a meal daily begins. Some of these learners have been beneficiaries of the school nutrition programme and have become reliant on the meals provided.

The challenge to fund and find resources to pursue a skills development course or a tertiary educational qualification can be very overwhelming. The reality is that many impoverished children struggle without pertinent guidance and mentors in relation to securing financial support for tertiary educational opportunities.

The other challenge lies in the fact that even though these learners may complete the application procedure, their ability to articulate well in the written form may be to their detriment.

At present the NSFAS website is in the English language and clearly stipulates that any South African student can apply if they have not received any funding from non-NSFAS sources.

The fund will not support candidates who want to pursue a second undergraduate qualification, second certificate qualification or if you intend to study at a private institution. Qualifications that are not endorsed by the Department of Higher Education and Training and The South African Qualifications Authority.

The NSFAS bursary stipulates that it supports tuition fees, learner materials, personal care allowance, transport or accommodation and registration fees. A candidate must apply with verified proof that their household income is below R350 000 per annum.

However, the greatest barrier to accessing these funds is the language barrier, and the substantial number of learners who will complete Grade 12 without being computer literate.

Educators located in rural schools are often teaching in isiZulu and lack an excellent and fluent knowledge of the English language. Often, the medium of instruction is combined with Indigenous African languages, which can hinder learners from grasping English fully within the classroom.

Many funding portals are digital and in the English language. Ramnarain and Hlatswayo (2018) in their research explain that the scarcity of resources hinders the effectiveness of science instruction and English instruction in numerous rural South African schools.

In addition, rural areas are unjustly facing persistent political, social, and economic marginalisation and researchers (Sherman & Schafft, 2022), have confirmed that secondary school teachers are often excluded from national education discussions.

Unfortunately, rural teachers’ needs are neglected, and their suggestions and experiences are sidelines within policy development processes and implementation.

Critics argue that schools in urban areas are prioritised. We fail to consider why so many matriculants from rural school’s struggle to forge a future for themselves independently, but the reality is that every learner requires a sound education inclusive of technological resources and Information Technology education, coupled with stringent measures that strengthen the learner’s capacity to comprehend, read, and write in English.

The socio-economic circumstances play a pivotal role in shaping the quality of education that our learners receive, especially in rural South Africa.

Rural schools need to be adequately resourced so that our learners can be equipped with the relevant skills to enter tertiary educational institutions and engage appropriately when searching for internships, bursaries, student loans and employment.

Much focus is given to the judiciary and the need to resolve and minimise corruption, yet educational needs fall by the wayside and innocent young South Africans bear the brunt of poor educational structures, coupled with a lack of appropriately skilled teachers and technological advancements.

Perhaps the way forward is to consider the introduction of virtual labs within these classrooms, but then too it may only be implemented within schools that have continued access to electricity.

The computer-based simulation allows learners to engage in the science curriculum through visual learning of experiments and other technical tasks on a digital platform.

This platform can replace physical labs and offer accessibility for all learners and flexible learning times. The virtual lab can be used across all subjects and even support educators with their teaching content and teaching and learning pedagogy.

This educational tool can enhance active learning and help students to understand and process information. Learners in rural schools need to be assisted so that they too can pursue a future that can cultivate a sustainable livelihood.

*The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper

DAILY NEWS