South African Catholic Archbishop Lauds Program Keeping Migrant Children in School

Information provided on the program’s website indicates that three host school communities make their school facilities available to the program each afternoon from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., after their day students have finished classes, hence the name Three2Six.

The project offers Math, English and Life Skills classes to prepare children to move into government schools.

It employs refugee teachers, providing them with employment, assistance to have their home qualifications recognized, experience with the South African curriculum, and where necessary, supporting them with further studies to obtain South African teaching qualifications and therefore, increasing their employability.

Lessons are provided utilizing the classrooms and facilities of the host schools. Three2Six learners are provided with their uniforms, textbooks and school materials, one meal per day and, where necessary, safe transport to and from school.

One of Three2Six’s core objectives is to transition children into mainstream education as soon as possible. The project finishes in Grade 6, ensuring that all children are transitioned into local schools in time to experience at least one year of mainstream primary school education before starting high school.

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The initiative is supported by a number of Catholic agencies including Misereor, Misean Cara, Ireland, and the Salesians of Don Bosco, Ireland.

It exists to provide safe, quality education to primary school refugee children who cannot access public education and to help build the children’s resilience and prepare them to leave the project and enter mainstream schools, among other objectives.

Archbishop Tlhagale appeals to South Africans to nurture acceptance and peaceful co-existence among young people, regardless of their nationality.

“Generally, young people do not have the kind of prejudices, which adults tend to show,” the Archbishop of Johannesburg says, and adds, “Young people are generally open-minded and are therefore ready to live, play and work with any other young person. It is important that we encourage young people to do what comes naturally to them, to make friends with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.”

The member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) finds it important for young people to enjoy and recognize cultural diversity and acceptance of people who come from different countries who live together and work together in adherence to Christian teachings.

“The Gospel says that if you want to be first you have to be the servant of others. Create the attitude of accepting others as persons. In other words, it is people first. The Gospel also says that we have to take care of the needs of others. That when you do these things to the least of my brothers, you do them to me,” Archbishop Tlhagale says.

The South African Archbishop who also serves as a member of the council of religious leaders that work with the United Nations Commission for migrants and refugees calls for the promotion of the attitude of serving others, especially the underprivileged.

“The attitude of service, of helping others is certainly given high value in the Gospels and that is what we need to promote among our communities, among our young people if we do not succeed among adults because of their stubbornness, or putting themselves first and blaming others because of the mishaps that are taking place in the society,” he says.

He adds, “We still have the duty to try and promote the spirit of friendliness, of community in our own communities. We have the duty to break down the walls of hatred that are existing in communities, we have to create welcoming communities so that people can know that it is imperative to welcome other people.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.