KwaZulu-Natal Experimental College
KwaZulu-Natal Experimental College is at home in buildings, which for decades have been used for training of the community in life skills, so that individuals, families and communities could improve their lives.
KNEC has a proud tradition of outreach activities in the nearby communities around Pinetown, such as Clermont, Marianhill, Hillcrest, Kwa Nyuswa , Nqetho and Hammarsdale where Development Instructors, who were trained for the Humana People to People projects, have been running classes and actions to the benefit of the community as part of their training at the College. At the same time the Development Instructors have learnt about questions of importance in the communities and have taken actions to mobilise people to handle the issues together.
Other elements in the training at KNEC are the DMM Studies, the DMM Courses, the DMM Experiences, and Investigation as a method of learning, Fundraising, and Responsibility Areas.
Some of them we will mention here.
Pedagogical Principles profiling the training
Below are listed some fundamental pedagogic principles that lie at the heart of the training and run through its everyday of learning and teaching, making it all worthwhile for students and teachers alike. They are highly relevant today and have potential to serve as an example for everything connected to school and training. The principles go further than most ordinary ways and concepts, both in their attitudes to human beings and to school, their view on schools, as well as their strivings and their practical implementation.
Here you have them in the short version:
- You have to go exploring to acquire new ideas – and to explore further to form better ideas.
- You have to get close to the thing you want to learn about. The closer you get, the more you learn.
- Together with your fellow students you must be the driving force in the work in order to learn much more. Teachers’ tricks won’t do to put you on your toes. Life is too important for that.
- You should be forewarned: Once you get into your stride, you’ll want to do more and more. The deeper you go into a question, the more you’ll want to know. There is much work in this – but in return you’ll avoid being superficial and half awake.
- There isn’t time to learn everything at school. Like an iceberg, perhaps only one-tenth of what you’d like to be able to do and know. The rest comes later.
- Only Adam, at first, was alone in the world. The rest of us are here together.
- The things you learn should be put to use. Now, if possible – so that others may learn from you. Possibly later, as the occasion arises. What you have learned, you learn twice as well by teaching it to others.
- You have to be mobile – then you will encounter many things. Otherwise, things come to a halt – even though your eyes are starting out of your head. From just one place you can’t see far.
- All this applies to teachers, too.