From Empangeni 7.12.84

From Empangeni

7.12.84

Dear Mum,

                Jolene has completed middle year at Pre-primary. Melissa the first year at Junior Primary.

                All pre-primary is optional (similar to kindergarten).  The children go in the morning. 

None go in the afternoon. Most of the schools ae semi-private.  You pay fees R80 term and the Govt subsidizes the rest. Most of the pre-primary schools are much larger than what you are used to. This one has about 6 different groups with 6 teachers and a headmistress. The groups are separated by age and language.

                I’m sure Jolene spends all day drawing. Each day she brings home between 5 to 1o drawings. At half year the teachers said she was a friendly little girl who enjoyed talking to the teachers. This term the teachers are finding her demanding. Her mind races.

                Junior primary school is compulsory. They can choose to start in the year the child turns 6 or 7. Lots of people hold the child back until it is 7. So some children will not go to school at all until 7. Which is two years later than in Australia.

                In Class 1 &2 the hours are 8:00 to 12:00 am. They go home after that. In Standard 1 they go from 8 to 1.

                Melissa plays incredibly well with any other children.

                Regards Alan