It is vitally important for learners and children – especially at early childhood development and primary school level – to be under the care of leaders who have the vision and foresight to see to their needs holistically, and not purely focus on aspects of academia.
This is according to Tiger Brands Foundation (TBF) Director Eugene Absolom, who says that good leaders within the education system are those who not only ensure that learners are taught the curriculum but also ensure that the conditions are in place for learners to thrive.
“Good leaders within the education ecosystem approach learners holistically and do not view them solely through an academic lens. They also take into account the psychological needs of learners that must be fulfilled so that they can benefit from the teachings they receive in the classroom,” says Absolom.
“Thus, at TBF we consider good leaders to be those who recognise the need for proper nutrition as a fundamental building block in a learner’s academic journey and therefore play an active role in facilitating the provision of adequate nutrition to their school.”
Millions of South African learners from poor and vulnerable communities rely on the government’s National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) for their daily source of nutrition. This programme is particularly crucial at a time when more households are becoming food insecure due to tough economic conditions.
The NSNP is supported by organisations such as the TBF, which provides a healthy, nutritious breakfast every school day to thousands of learners at disadvantaged schools across South Africa to help bulk up the NSNP. The TBF’s in-school breakfast initiative complements the DBE’s in-school nutrition programme.
“Various studies have shown that nutrition plays a vital role in a child’s physical growth and mental development. Nutrition also impacts a child’s emotional and cognitive development,” says Absolom, adding that learners who receive proper nutrition are often able to maintain a healthy weight and perform well in school in addition to having a decreased risk of illness or disease.
“Good leaders thus also recognise that early-life nutrition has long-term consequences and may influence adult outcomes, which essentially means that a healthy child stands a better chance at breaking the cycle of poverty and improving their quality of life.”
According to findings by the World Health Organisation, people with adequate nutrition are more productive and can create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger. The organisation adds that “developmental, economic, social, and medical impacts of the global burden of malnutrition are serious and lasting for individuals and their families, for communities and for countries”.
“Educational leaders who view a learner as a one-dimensional being who is only there to be taught academically are potentially limiting their development and must widen their outlook and see the learner and their needs through a much broader lens,” says Absolom.
He notes that the TBF has already identified some hard-working and dedicated education leaders who are making a remarkable impact on their schools and communities, equipping them with the necessary skills to achieve even more.
Recently, the Foundation hosted its biennial Principals Summit. The event aimed to empower principals to learn, grow, and collaborate with each other and the Foundation, keeping learners at the heart of their services. Eugene Absolom, the Director of TBF, challenged the principals of each province cluster to nominate their leader of leaders. He emphasised that each principal possessed a unique contribution that could enhance their schools and communities. Absolom urged the principals to innovate and collaborate, ensuring that everyone took responsibility for their respective schools.
“The TBF is not only concerned with how many learners we can provide with a nutritious meal every day, but we are equally concerned with the quality of the nutrition that is served. Effective leadership in the school system has far-reaching impacts and is shaped by the leadership qualities of principals and teachers,” says Absolom.
“The TBF’s investment in nutrition stems from our understanding that well-nourished learners perform better academically and are healthier overall and combining leadership development with nutritional support, will ensure a holistic approach to improving the educational environment,” Absolom concludes.