The Department of Basic Education classifies the NSNP as one of the critical omponents of the government's Programme of Action, which was specifically assigned the responsibility of addressing learners' ability to learn by providing them with nutritious meals. The success of the programme may therefore contribute towards the country's realisation of the Millennium Development Goals which include the reduction of mortality and the eradication of extreme hunger and poverty by 2015 as well as achieving universal primary education. The aim of the National School Nutrition Programme seeks to promote sustainable food production initiatives in all School Nutrition Schools in order to develop skills. It also aims to enhance learning capacity of a learner through feeding and to promote nutrition education in order to improve healthy eating and lifestyles amongst communities. This study seeks to assess the current status in administering the NSNP in selected schools in Peddie, Eastern Cape. Due to the extensive nature of the geographical area of Peddie, this study focused exclusively on 25 schools. For the purpose of this study, a quantitative approach was employed through a questionnaire constructed to obtain the perceptions of the sample group. The responses from the statements in the questionnaire were analysed by a Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University registered statistician. In the last chapter a number of recommendations are stated to aid in improving the current administering status of the National School Nutrition Programme.

Due to the increasing availability of ART (antiretroviral therapy),HIV is starting to be seen as a chronic disease. This has several effects on families, one of which is the need to disclose their HIV status to children who were born with the illness. Potential barriers and available support structures with regards to paediatric HIV disclosure need to be considered before specific guidelines can be given to caretakers and health care providers. This study aimed to explore and describe the patterns of paediatric HIV disclosure or non-disclosure using a sample of caretakers or parents of children/adolescents who were born with HIV. The Disclosure Decision Making Model (DDMM) was used as a framework to understand the decision-making process that leads to either disclosure or non-disclosure. Qualitative data was gathered by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, conducted in English. Ten participants were recruited from a community health care centre that offers HIV counselling and testing in the Nelson Mandela Bay Health District. Data gathered was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Lincoln and Guba’s model was used to determine the trustworthiness of the data. The two themes that emerged from the study were (1) caretakers wish to disclose HIV status to the child but identified barriers to doing this and, (2) caretakers identified factors that helped them to disclose the child’s status. This study provides a more in-depth understanding of the factors that influence disclosure in a resource-limited setting in the Eastern Cape.

Health and education are two important aspects of human capital and form the basis of an individual’s economic productivity in any country. In South Africa, hunger and malnutrition continue to hamper the health, quality of life and survival of school going children such that some children drop- out of school due to these socio-economic problems (Tomlinson,2007:2). The introduction of previous School Feeding Schemes to address the question of hunger and poverty within schools was mostly left in the 1980’s and 1990’s to charitable and Non-Governmental Organizations such as Operation Hunger and ITHUBA (Swartz, 2009:38). According to Perlman (1993:14) South Africa’s track record of child deaths was more than double that of any other country of similar income levels worldwide, due to the apartheid government deserting its responsibility of feeding the nation. The White Paper for the Transformation of Health System (1997: 125) had also stated that improving nutrition within the rural schools is an imperative and a sound economic investment which is politically rewarding. Nelson Mandela (1996:8) once said “Our children are our nation’s future. Prospects for development are seriously undermined by the kind of large scale deprivation of children that South Africa has experienced. On the other hand investing in their health, nutrition and education not only improves our children’s quality of life – the gains reverberate into the future generations. ” From April 1994, through the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) the Government of National Unity under the leadership of Dr. Nelson Mandela identified the area of school feeding as a policy prime concern in redressing the imbalances and inequities of the past governments. Another initiative to redress the inequities of the past, was through the programme of Poverty Reduction which manifested itself in lack of income, lack of education and skills, lack of access to services and amenities and lack of ownership of land and housing (Public Service Commission, 2007.

The human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immune deficiency syndrome pandemic (HIV/AIDS) continues to increase in prevalence worldwide, particularly in South Africa. There is a concurrent and distinct increase in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and HIV-related diseases in the paediatric population in South Africa, particularly those using public sector health services, with a corresponding increase in morbidity and mortality rates (Abdool Karim & Abdool Karim, 2010:363), which impacts greatly on paediatric healthcare services. Adding to this, the provision of paediatric antiretroviral care has numerous stumbling blocks, not least of which is lack of decentralisation of facilities to provide treatment. There is the additional shortage of staff, which includes staff that are comfortable dealing with children, lack of training programmes on the provision of antiretroviral therapy to children, and minimal on-site mentorship of staff regarding HIV/AIDS disease in children. This lack of capacity in the healthcare system means that not all of those who require treatment will be able to access it, and this is particularly pertinent to paediatric patients (Meyers et al., 2007:198). Therefore the purpose of this research was to develop a nursing model that would assist healthcare professionals, in particular professional nurses, to optimise the comprehensive treatment, care and support for HIV-positive children who require antiretroviral therapy at PHC clinics. To achieve the purpose of this study, a theory-generating design based on a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual approach was implemented by the researcher to gain an understanding of how the healthcare professionals and parents/caregivers of HIV-positive children experienced the comprehensive treatment, care and support provided at primary healthcare clinics. The information obtained was used to develop a chronic care coordination model for the optimisation of comprehensive treatment, care and support for HIV-positive children requiring antiretroviral therapy. The study design comprised the following four steps: Step One of the research design focused on the identification, classification and definition of the major concepts of the study. This involved describing and selecting the research population and the sampling process prior to conducting the field work which comprised in-depth interviews with two groups of participants, namely healthcare professionals and parents/caregivers who accompany their HIV-positive children to PHC clinics in order to receive antiretroviral therapy. Step Two of the research design focused on the development of relationship statements in order to bring clarity and direction to the understanding of the phenomenon of interest. Step Three of the design concentrated on the development and description of the chronic care coordination model for optimising comprehensive treatment, care and support for HIV-positive children who require antiretroviral therapy in order to ensure a well-managed child on ART. A visual representation of the structure of the model for chronic care coordination was given and described as well as a detailed description of the process of the model. Step Four was the last step of the research design and its focus was the development of guidelines for the operationalisation of the model for chronic care coordination for the optimisation of comprehensive treatment, care and support for HIV-positive children requiring antiretroviral therapy at PHC clinics. Guidelines and operational implications for each of the five sequential steps of the model were developed. The evaluation criteria of Chinn & Kramer (2008:237‒248) were used to evaluate the model. It is therefore concluded that the researcher succeeded in achieving the purpose for this study because a chronic care coordination model that is understandable, clear, simple, applicable and significant to nursing practice has been developed for use by healthcare professionals, particularly professional nurses, in order to optimise the comprehensive treatment, care and support for HIV-positive children requiring antiretroviral therapy at primary healthcare clinics.

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is a poverty alleviation strategy, which was introduced in 1994 by the Government of South Africa as part of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). Studies of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), show that hunger, nutrition, and poverty, are strongly correlated. The same studies note that in the world as a whole, hunger impacts negatively on Millennium Development Goals, namely universal primary education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, and environmental stability. Hunger, specifically, has been shown to contribute to reduced school attendance, impaired cognitive capacity, high child mortality rates, high maternal death rates, increased migratory labour that increases the spread of HIV, and the unsustainable use of forest lands and resources (South African Department of Education, 2004: 3).” The National School Nutrition Programme aims at providing meals to mostly the needy learners, who come from poor families. Good food provides energy for the brain. The meals that are provided at schools are, therefore, intended to give energy for mental and physical activities for the body and brain to function, and to make learners alert and receptive during lessons (South African Province of the Eastern Cape Department of Education, 2008: 2). Currently, meals in South African Schools are provided to all learners in Quintile 1, 2 and 3 public primary schools from Grades R to 7. The programme was extended to Quintile 1 secondary schools in April 2009. All Quintile 2 and 3 public secondary schools will be included in 2010 and 2011 respectively (South African Eastern Cape Province Department of Education, 2008: 3). To collect information for research purposes, the researcher used a qualitative approach. This approach, which is used by the researcher, seeks to identify the impediments that pose challenges to effective and efficient implementation of the NSNP in the King William’s Town District of the Department of Education in Province of the Eastern Cape. The sample covers two rural schools participating in the NSNP in the King William’s Town District, namely Fort Murray Junior and Senior Primary School, and Qongqotha Junior and Senior Primary School. In each school, the principal, the chairperson of the School Governing Body, the teacher in charge of the NSNP, and Grade 7 learners, formed part of the sample of the study. Added to these participants have been the Service Provider and the District Coordinator of the NSNP in the King William’s Town District. The researcher chose these two schools that are locally based (within a 10km radius from the researcher’s place of residence) for convenience purposes, in terms of cutting down on travelling costs. The empirical findings were analysed and interpreted, and in presenting the findings, special reference to the research question is made, namely: “What are the challenges that impede the successful implementation of the National School Nutrition Programme in the King William’s Town District of the Eastern Cape Department of Education?” The recommendations reflected heavily on the purpose of the study, namely, that the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape has not managed the NSNP efficiently and effectively. The findings of this study reflect that there are still challenges that continue to plague the NSNP after seven years of the inception of the programme by Department of Education. The empirical findings of this study have revealed that the challenges confronting the implementation of the NSNP could be attributed to poor governance by the Department of Education officials. Some pockets of excellence of the NSNP are noted in the study. Recommendations are made to mitigate the problem situation.

M.A. (African Languages) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Bibliography: pages 252-280. / Special Education encompasses a wide field. It is an expensive form of education and is often criticized for its shortcomings. One part of Special Education is remedial teaching for children with learning disabilities. In order to provide good quality services, it is necessary to evaluate what is currently being offered and what is envisaged as desirable for the future. This study focusses on those two factors by examining the perceptions of remedial teaching as held by educators (principals, regular class teachers and remedial teachers themselves) in fifty-two schools of the Department of Education and Culture - House of Representatives (DEC-HR). Current service provisions and the desired role of the remedial teacher are thus examined to determine whether educators perceive these as adequate and desirable. A study of the literature was undertaken and guided by those insights a questionnaire was drawn up. This was distributed to educators and the information was verified and augmented by personal interviews with remedial educators. Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were distributed. The views of principals, regular class teachers and remedial teachers were surveyed in those primary schools served by a remedial teacher. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to arrive at both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the position of Remedial Services in the Department of Education (House of Representatives). The study revealed a strong correspondence between the three groups of educators regarding their perception of remedial services. The author endeavours to illustrate that the lack of consensus about criteria for definition and classification of Learning Disability and consequently Remedial Education, leads to confusion of the role(s) remedial teachers are expected to fulfil. This affects the provision of adequate and effective remedial services to pupils in need of such specialised educational facilities. Results from this study led the author to draw up a proposed structure for Specialised Education, in particular, Remedial Education, in a unitary Education System in South Africa.

Bibliography : leaves 142-148. / The study was designed to investigate child labour with particular regard to Black newsvendors in the Cape Peninsula. Data was gathered from interviews with local organisations active in the field of child labour and the employment conditions of newsvendors, as well as a field study carried out in the Cape Peninsula. A review of local and international literature was also undertaken. A brief account of child labour in the Western Cape is given which provided the necessary backdrop to the study. The field study involved in-depth interviews with 52 Black newsvendors in the Cape Peninsula. This comprised interviews with the first available four newsvendors in each of the 13 areas in the Cape Peninsula in which newspapers are sold by vendors. Respondents completed an interview schedule administered by the researcher. The interview schedule furnished information on the employment conditions of newsvendors, their role as wage-earners, their education and training, their safety, health and welfare. Analysis of the data revealed that the majority of newsvendors worked as child labourers under deplorable working conditions. The findings demonstrated that young Black newsvendors comprised a pool of cheap and exploited labour. Their exploitation is evident in their deprivation of family life, of reasonable working hours, of time to pursue social and leisure interests as children, of a negotiated wage, of favourable working conditions, of dignity, of the acknowledgement of the value of their labour, of legal protection, of membership in an effective worker organisation, of further acquisition of knowledge and skills, of opportunities and scope for advancement. The findings reveal that young Black newsvendors work under conditions detrimental to their health, safety and welfare. Many young Black newsvendors who sell newspapers in the early hours of the morning often start to work without breakfast. They spend a considerable amount of time on the streets without any rest periods, leading to irregular mealtimes, while many survive on food of inferior nutritional value. These young newsvendors have to survive in occupational circumstances where robberies and assaults frequently occur. In these circumstances the peer group begins to play an important role. Young newsvendors are often induced to succumb to the influences of co-workers. The newsvendors in this study also expressed a deep sense of hopelessness and despondency about their own lives. Any prospects of a better future are seriously curtailed by the lack of formal education and industrial skills. The majority of the newsvendors said that they enjoyed going to school but had to leave in order to support the family income. The recommendations draw attention to the need for the improvement of working conditions, training and supportive services, but recognises that this is only possible once newsvendors are organised in an effective worker organisation.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Speech Pathology), 2017 / Background: The relevance and effectiveness of speech therapy interventions for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has come under scrutiny within the CP community. There is a need for evidence based research to be conducted within the CP population. Specifically with regard to the current speech therapy interventions that are being used for this population. There is a dearth of literature in favour of the efficacy of speech therapy interventions for the CP population. Furthermore, research within the South African context is required so as to identify the culturally specific needs of the population. In addition, South Africa faces challenges in providing culturally specific, cost effective and evidence based intervention for this population. This can be attributable to barriers such as the lack of human and financial resources. Purpose: The main aim of the study was to measure change in the use of communicative functions of nine children with cerebral palsy following a five week parent training program. The main aim was achieved with the following sub-aims; 1) To assess the participant’s baseline performance in the use of communicative functions before the commencement of the parent training, 2) To assess the participant’s performance in the use of communicative functions after the 5 week parent training had taken place, 3) To assess the participant’s performance in the use of communicative functions 3 months after the post intervention assessment and 4) To describe the effectiveness of a parent training program in improving a child with CP’s ability to make use of communicative functions. Method: The parents of nine children underwent a parent training program namely the Malamulel Onward Carer-2-Carer Training Program. The nine children were assessed before, immediately after and 3 months after the intervention. The scales, namely the Preschool Language Scale-5 and the Communication Matrix were used in the baseline assessment and reassessment phases of the study and yielded numerical data that described the children’s communication abilities. Results: All the children (n=9) demonstrated a positive increase in communication from test 1 through to test 3 on the Communication Matrix. The p-value for test 1 to test 2 was p=0.0078, test 2 to test 3 were p=0.0313 and test 1 to test 2 were p=0.0313 indicating significant change. The performance on the PLS-5 for majority (n=8) of the sample was unexpected. The majority of participants (n=7) displayed an increase in the PLS-5 score from test 1 to test 2; with one participant displaying a positive change across all three testing occasions on the PLS-5. However, a decrease in the PLS-5 score was seen in majority (n=5) of the participants from test 2 to test 3. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, the use of parent training appears to be a viable form of intervention to improve the use of communicative functions in children with CP. However, further steps need to be taken to incorporate an individual follow up component after the parent training to ensure carry over and maintenance of skills covered in the workshops. In addition, due to questions around the efficacy of the PLS-5 with individuals who have CP, assessments need to comprise of a standardized tool in addition to an observational tool so as to acquire a more holistic view of a child with CP’s communication skills. / XL2018

Learners who are deaf and who are using the auditory oral approach are currently included in ordinary schools in South Africa. By default, most educators are not adequately trained to include these learners successfully. Transformation and train-ing, specific to the context of inclusive education, is thus undeniable. Therefore, in order to address the development of full-service schools to include learners who are deaf and who are using the auditory oral approach, a literature study on the nature of inclusive education with the focus on full-service schools to include the mentioned learners, took place. A qualitative study was conducted and data was gathered by interviews with six, learners, parents and educators. The findings were corroborated with the literature study with a view to addressing learner and system needs in order to include these learners successfully in a full-service school. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to address the development of full-service schools to include the mentioned learners. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.