Students reach out with Teach Out

Students from UCT have found their own way of helping struggling pupils in neighbouring townships. Teach Out is a student-run programme to teach English, mathematics and science to disadvantaged grade 11 and 12 pupils, building capacity in these vital areas.

The programme is being run at two Gugulethu schools, Fezeka Senior Secondary and Gugulethu Comprehensive Secondary, and with classes every Saturday morning, the workshops are well attended by both pupils and teachers.

Teach Out aims to create a good academic base and tries to stimulate the pupils' interest in tertiary education. Due to a lack of resources and high student/teacher ratios, these facilities are desperate for additional help.

The learning is not all one-way. The programme allows UCT students from more affluent communities to participate in initiatives in township communities.

The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment currently sponsors the programme, along with Excel. It is hoped that further sponsorship will allow the programme to select pupils to become bursary candidates.

Teach Out was launched as an initiative of Smuts and Fuller Halls. For more information, contact Stephen York at 083 564 0883 or e-mail him at yrkste002@mail.uct.ac.za.