A discussion of a unique collaboration model between schools

Abstract

The schools located in many township and rural areas of South Africa struggle to provide a high standard of education because many of the inhabitants of these areas are very poor and there is thus a lack of the funding required for the necessary educational equipment. The Afri Twin project, started by Jayne Martin from the UK, addresses this problem. The project is collaboration between a British school, a South African town/city school, and a school from a poor township or rural community in South Africa. This article reports on a research project that made use of a qualitative case study approach, to focus on the collaboration between Wellacre Technology College, Ferrum High School, and Siyalungelwa High School as part of the Afri Twin project. The objectives of the research project are to determine the benefits of the Afri Twin project for the schools involved; to investigate the unique interaction between Wellacre, Ferrum, and Siyalungelwa; and to determine the cultural enrichment of learners and the multi-cultural interaction between the three schools. Data was collected through focus group interviews, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires. Data analysis led to the emergence of four major themes with categories and subcategories. The conclusion underlined the cultural tolerance that is established through the Afri Twin project, as well as the importance of financial support for promoting an improved learning environment.