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THE Westmead-based Tzu Chi Foundation – South Africa held an education seminar last week which aimed to fill a gap in the schooling curriculum, which is the cultivation of character.
Themed ‘Igniting Hope, Cultivating Character’, the foundation’s education project manager, Siyabonga Alex Qwabe, said the seminar was also about imparting the Tzu Chi humanistic spirit and education philosophy, character education and holistic learning strategies, and different education systems and practical teaching experiences.
The seminar was attended by the foundation’s volunteers and educators from Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini and Durban who had the opportunity to engage with different industry experts and guest speakers who delved into the seminar’s aimed exploration into new approaches in inclusive education, character development, and skill-based learning.
Also read: WATCH: Foundation donates reusable diapers
One of the guest speakers was Ursula Collings, a former school principal whose talk on Thursday also encouraged teachers and parents to expose children to nature, especially in light of findings that more of them are spending almost seven hours glued to devices such as cellphones or tablets.
Qwabe, a former educator himself, said the foundation seeks to “plant a seed in learners and educators of certain principles and values which will make them better people”.
“Ours is to better shape society by changing the characters of people,” said Qwabe, who added that the knowledge gained by their volunteers from the seminar will be sown into the minds of the children they provide caregiving services to across different countries, including South Africa.
The local branch of the foundation provides care-giving assistance to schools such as Addington Primary, SM Jhavary Primay and Nqayizivele in uMlazi.
Among the lessons Qwabe said were presented to volunteers were inclusion and learning barriers, with strategies suggested on how to identify the latter and help children deal with it, in order to ensure the former manifests in a classroom.
“A lot of the experts were showing a practical and fun part of learning and also how to help learners forget about whatever burdens and troubles they may be dealing with in their personal lives,” said Qwabe, who added that it was also about cultivating the teacher’s mental health.
Qwabe said the foundation’s central tenets are building compassion; respect; being responsible; courage; perseverance; contentment; emotional management; thankfulness; tolerance; filial piety; and giving.
“We go to schools and conduct fun yet informative lessons that are based on these central themes, and the aim is to change the characters of learners by reminding them of these principles,” said Qwabe.
The seminar, which Qwabe said aimed to transform learners and teachers as a way of ultimately positively impacting communities, ran from July 9 to 13 at the foundation’s Westmead centre.
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