Teacher’s late-night candle classes help matrics

[caption id="attachment_97406" align="alignright" width="350"] GOING THE EXTRA MILE: Linda Jonas, a mathematics teacher at Mzamowethu, has been labelled an extraordinary woman who goes beyond her duties to teach maths until late at night to matriculants at her school. She even sleeps over at the impoverished school to allow pupils who live in overcrowded homes, an opportunity to study Picture: STEPHANIE LLOYD[/caption]

Fighting poverty‚ crime and drugs in a community where families live off social grants is what drives Linda Jonas‚ a teacher at Mzamowethu Combined School‚ to exceed her duties and empower pupils with education.

Jonas‚ 51‚ has been teaching at the school for the past 12 years and is currently teaching computer applications technology to Grades 10‚ 11 and 12. She is also a mathematics teacher to the matriculants.

The devoted teacher hosts extra classes from as early as 7am and conducts evening classes until 6pm for the 58 matric pupils in her mathematics class.

When the exams approach‚ the teacher leaves her suburban home and pulls all-nighters with her pupils.

“Initially‚ we had extra classes with only a few pupils at my home‚ but the group escalated until it was the whole class.

“Because I could not accommodate all of them at home‚ we used the school as a meeting point until it became our second home.

“There was a period when we did not have electricity‚ but that did not stop us because we would burn candles throughout the evening and during load shedding.”

In an interview with the Daily Dispatch on Tuesday‚ Jonas said pupils often told her that they did not want to go home because they were at ease studying at school.

“Others feared being abused by drunken parents who cause chaos at home‚ others often stop being children when they get home‚ while some live in tiny homes with many siblings.

“These children also have so many responsibilities when they get home‚ they can hardly touch a book.

“That is why I feel better knowing that when I stay with them at school‚ I can look after them and guide them with their studies‚ giving them adequate time to study.”

Olwethu Mafuta‚ who nominated Jonas as a local hero‚ said she first learnt of the extraordinary teacher last year when she was collecting a pupil at the school.

“This courageous woman leaves her house in Gonubie near the beach to spend cold winter nights sleeping on a mattress at the school because parents cannot afford to take pupils to winter school elsewhere.

“She organised a camp for all the Grade 12 pupils as they prepared for June exams.”

Local shops donated food and Jonas mobilised parents to cook for the children.

Mafuta said‚ given the poor pass rate in the Eastern Cape‚ a passionate and dedicated teacher like Jonas had the strong qualities of a local hero.

“In 2013‚ we had a 53% pass rate and last year it increased by 2%…you must watch it this year‚” the enthusiastic teacher said.

On Wednesday‚ the school camp will start up again in preparation for the preliminary exams until September 22.

Mandilakhe Msitweni‚ a matric pupil‚ said her marks had improved drastically thanks to the extra classes. - Daily Dispatch, RDM News Wire