Elaine Browne.pdf - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

INTERVIEW AT PRIMARY SCHOOL WITH THREE ARTS AND CULTURE TEACHERS
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T: Yes, let me strart with the curriculum of Arts and Culture especially when I start, started in 2004. It was so
difficult to me to start. I was stuck really because the, the, the subject was new. And, it has no syllabus at that it
specifies that you must use this book. You have to take any book, grab any book when you want to teach the
children and I was so frustrated. But I don’t know whether I can give to somebody else. That is what I have
experienced during the first years. Ah, yes that is what I have experienced during the first years. Unlike now, at
least now I have the knowledge after attending different workshops.
Elaine: Right, any of you?
U: It was very, very difficult cause the learning area was also, was new and I didn’t know anything about Arts
and Culture. The worst part of it was, no book. There was nothing saying use this and this and this and we were
struggling and that’s why even still now I am still struggling cause this learning area, I didn’t like it. It’s not in my,
in my, in my subjects although I am suppose to teach but, I can’t say I like it.
Elaine: Because you didn’t study it?
U: Um eh. To me when I was introduced to to Arts and Culture, I loved it because I was a, a, I used to do drama
so I thought it was close by and I thought I was gonna to be safe with it and I could do handwork. You know.
Then, I had ... when I got into it. I saw the workbooks, right enough when I studied it, the workbooks right
enough. But they were not illustrative enough because what happens. For example if you were given a dance
you were told about the Xhosa dances, the Suthu dances, the ... but nobody would ever tell you how this
dances dance so that you can teach the children these dances. Given you the types of the dances but nobody
will illustrate like how this type of a dance is done ... They will tell you this type of dance is done, such and such
a thing is happening or such and such a ritual. They explain it. They didn’t give ...They don’t give you the method
of how to do. How to do it and give it to us, the kids. They all have the knowledge but they don’t know how it is
done. Coming to music. I was not taught music properly at school. I got it from here and there, so when I came
here, it, it gave me, they taught me about the crotchets, the do re me fa so things, tonic solfa and whatever but
how could I implement that to the kids because nobody played anything for me, telling me that or showing me
that. So how can I do it towards the kids. Give it to the kids. Then, then when it comes to like, ... if you love
something, yes you got this love of it, but it dies gradually when you haven’t got, no, especially when you
haven’t got the resources. If you haven’t got the resources, how do you, you want ... Let me tell you for
instance like last week I was doing masks, face masks. I looked around and I said to them bring card boards so
that we could do those masks but we haven’t got paint, we haveb’t got wool to to to do the hair or whatever.
We haven’t got enough things. So we have to look for things. Yes we got them but if the school had these things
at least it would be easier. OK, That’s, that.
Elaine: So you ...