The support of juveniles in a Gauteng correctional school : a wellness perspective

Abstract

The study explores how juvenile offender learners may be supported regarding their wellness in a Gauteng correctional centre school. The Wellness and Ubuntu theories guided the study. These theories helped to understand how juveniles were supported as they experienced several educational deficits, many of which were not addressed by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) personnel. A constructivist paradigm was appropriate for the study for the following reasons: firstly, constructivism recognises the complexity and diversity of participants and their perspectives about the situations under study. It also privileges to the ways in which individual knowledge and experiences are constructed through perception, reflection and meaning making. Secondly, constructivist researchers develop an understanding of other people’s behaviours and perspectives through their relationships with the participants. This study was conducted in a Gauteng correctional school where the participants both live and study. The school as a unit of analysis provided insight into the challenges and complex world of the lived experience of the juveniles. Participants were purposefully selected to ensure relevant data was gathered. Twenty-four juveniles who participated were attending school. Furthermore, teachers who were teaching in a correctional school participated in the study. Data was collected from sampled participants using open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observations. The researcher analysed data manually. The themes that emerged revealed that teachers were making a great effort to support the wellness of juvenile learner offenders. The findings revealed that juveniles encountered many challenges in their physical, emotional, academic, political, economic and social conditions, which led to their incarceration. A wellness framework was proposed to assist teachers with strategies to support physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and career dimensions.

Injongo yalesisifundo kwakungu kuphenya nokuthola imibono indlela abafundi abayiziboshwa bangasizwa ngayo mayelana nenhlalo yempilo yabo ngaphakathi kwesikole esisetilongweni iGauteng. Lesisifundo sisebenzise umhlahlandlela Wempilo yenhlalo kanye no Ubuntu njenge lenzi yokuqondisa lesisifundo. Loluhlaka lwemibono emibili ehlangene lungisize ukuqondisisa indlela yokubona ukuthi labafundi abayiziboshwa baluthola kanjani usizo njengoba bebhekene nezinkinga ezintukelayo ezifundweni zabo ezingazange zabonelelwa ngabaphathi komnyango weziboshwa (DCS). Lesisifundo sakhiwe kwisisekelo seParadayimi iKhonstrakthivisti ukuze kutholakale ukuxhumana phakathi kwesikole kanye nalapho abafundi abayiziboshwa bephila khona. Lesisifundo senzeke ngaphakathi etilongweni lase eGauteng lapho iziboshwa zigcinwa khona ngenhloso yokuthola ulwazi olubanzi kwizinkinga ezithintana nabafundi abayiziboshwa ababhekene nazo. Ababambiqhaza kulesisifundo bakhethwe ngenhloso yokuqiniseka ukutholakala kwemininingwane efanele. Abafundi abangamashumi amabili nane abafunda khona lapha kulesisikole kanye nothisha abafundisa khona kulelijele elikusiFundazwe sase Gauteng baye babamba iqhaza kulesisifundo. Othisha okuyibona ababekade befundisa zona iziboshwa kulesisikole esisetilongweni nabo baye babamba iqhaza kulesisifundo. Ngesiqiniseko senhloso yalesisifundo kusetshenziswe amasu ukuqokelela imininingwane, uhla lwemibuzo evulekile kanye nezingxoxo ezihlelekile ezinemibuzo evulekile kanye nokubuka kude noma ukuhlolisisa. Umcwaningi uhlahlele imininingwane yonke ebhala phansi. ukuqoqa ndawonye yonke imibono efanayo ekwazile ukwakha ingqikithi eveze ukuthi othisha benze konke okusemandleni abo ukusiza inhlalo yempilo yabafundi abayiziboshwa. Okuzuziwe ngalesifundo ukuthi labafundi abayiziboshwa babhekene nezinkinga eziphathelene ngokomzimba, imizwa yokuzwelana, ezemfundo, kanye nezepolitiki, ezomnotho nezindlela abaphila ngayo, nokuphathelene kanye nokuhlalisana kwabo okugcine kubaholele ejele. Okuzuziwe ngalesifundo ukuthi labafundi abayiziboshwa babhekene nezinkinga eziphathelene ngokomzimba, imizwa yokuzwelana, kanye nezepolitiki, ezomnotho nezindlela abaphila ngayo, okomoya wenkolo, nokuphathelene kanye nokuhlalisana kwabo, kubenomthelelo ukuthola ukuthi kungani lezizingane zigcine sezisemajele. Konke loku osokushiwo okuvimbelayo okuphathelene nabafundi abayiziboshwa kunzima ukufunda, ukubhala, izinkinga ngezokulonda ngaphakathi ejele kanye nokugcinwa kwemithetho okufanele bayilandele kanye nokuntuleka kwezinto zokusebenza ukuze abafundi bafunde nothisha bakwazi ukusebenza. Emva kokutholakala kwemiphumela yalesifundo, i-wellness framework yiyona engasiza ukunceda othisha ngezindlela abangasiza abafundi ukubhekana nezinkinga zabafundi nawo wonke amadayimenshini e-wellness. Imizwa yokuzwelana, indlela abaphila ngayo, okomoya wenkolo, nokuphathelene nomzimba kanye nomsebenzi wokuziphilisa.

Morero wa phuputso ena e ne e le ho fuputsa le ho fumana pono ya ditsela tseo baithuti ba ditlodi tsa molao ba batjha ba ka tshehetswang ka tsona mabapi le bophelo ba bona bo botle setsing sa dikoduwa sa Gauteng. Phuputso e sebedisitse dikhopolo tsa Bophelo bo Botle le Botho jwaloka tataiso ya thuto. Dikgopolo tsena di nthusitse ho utlwisisa hore na batjha ba tsheheditswe jwang ha ba ntse ba e na le dikgaello tse ngata tsa thuto, tseo bongata ba tsona di neng di sa sebetswe ke basebeletsi ba Lefapha la ditshebeletso tsa kgalemelo. Phuputso e kenyeleditswe ho “paradigm ya constructivist” ho hlahisa lesedi le hokahaneng dipakeng tsa sekolo le tikoloho ya kgalemelo. Phuputso e etsahetse sekolong sa setsi sa tlhabollo ya batshwaruwa sa Gauteng se ileng sa kgethwa ka boomo ho fana ka lesedi la diphephetso le lefatshe le rarahaneng la boiphihlelo ba batjha. Barupeduwa ba ile ba kgethwa ka boomo ho netefatsa hore dintlha tse amehang di a bokellwa. Batjha ba mashome a mabeli a metso e mene ba ne ba nkuwa ba le sekolong. Matitjhere a neng a ruta sekolong sa kgalemelo a nkile karolo thutong. Mekhwa ya ho bokella dintlha e sebedisitsweng e ne e le dipotso tsa dipotso tse bulehileng, dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng hantle le maikutlo. Dintlha di ile tsa bokellwa ho tswa ho ba-nka-karolo ba sampole ba sebedisa dipotso tsa dipotso tse bulehileng, dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng hantle le maikutlo. Mofuputsi o ile a seka-seka “data” ka letsoho. Meralo e hlahileng e senotse hore matitjhere a etsa matsapa a maholo ho tshehetsa bophelo bo botle ba batlodi ba molao ba bana. Diphuputso di senotse hore batjha ba thulana le diphephetso tse ngata mmeleng, maikutlong, thutong le maemong a mang a dipolotiki, moruo le setjhaba tse lebisitseng ho ho kwallwa. Ho ile ha hlahiswa moralo wa bophelo bo botle ho thusa matichere ka maano a ho tshehetsa bophelo bo botle ba mmele, setjhaba, maikutlo, moya, le kelello.