While South African classrooms follow the same national curriculum, the experience of learning remains deeply unequal. Across the country, educators face overcrowded classrooms, rising behavioural challenges, and widespread learner disengagement, often linked to hidden learning differences that go unrecognised or misunderstood.
Earlier this month, a group of educators gathered in Cape Town for a two-day teacher training pilot focused on enquiry-based learning and inclusive classroom practice. The training was delivered by Educating Outside The Lines Academy in collaboration with The Global Centre for Change Foundation, as part of a longer-term effort to strengthen classroom practice within existing Department of Education frameworks.
The pilot training brought together 15 teachers by invitation from five schools across the Deep South. Jupiter Street Primary School demonstrated particularly strong engagement and made up the majority of participants, alongside one Early Childhood Development educator and one high school teacher. With average class sizes of 35 to 40 learners, the training is expected to indirectly impact between 525 and 600 learners through improved teaching strategies, learner engagement, and classroom responsiveness.
Rather than focusing on content delivery, the programme examined how teaching methods shape comprehension, confidence, and participation. Teachers were immersed in experiential activities designed to simulate how learning can feel for children with dyslexia, ADHD, and other hidden learning differences. Instructions became harder to process. Time felt compressed. Confidence dropped. These experiences highlighted how capable learners are often mislabelled or disengaged when teaching approaches fail to reflect cognitive diversity.
Research indicates that between 500,000 and 600,000 children with disabilities are excluded from South Africa’s education system, with hidden learning differences among the most under-identified. While global estimates suggest that 5 to 10 percent of learners experience specific learning disorders, only 0.6 percent of South African matric candidates are formally recorded as having special educational needs. Environmental factors such as chronic stress, trauma, poverty, and instability further complicate diagnosis, often resulting in learners being labelled as disruptive rather than supported.
The training responds directly to a recognised gap in teacher development. While educators are required to remain compliant with national curriculum and assessment standards, many receive limited practical guidance on how to deliver these requirements in ways that meaningfully engage diverse learners. This programme operates within Department of Education frameworks, equipping teachers to meet curriculum outcomes while expanding their instructional approaches beyond rote learning.
“When teaching methods change, learner outcomes change,” said Tarryn Hallaby, Founder and CEO of The Global Centre for Change Foundation. “Too many children are judged using approaches that were never designed for how their minds work. Strengthening how learning is experienced in classrooms is one of the most powerful levers for long-term change.”
Educators who participated in the pilot described the training as both practical and transformative. “It was a real eye opener,” said one teacher. “The course gave insight into things you often overlook, especially different learning methods. It made me realise how important it is to incorporate multiple approaches in everyday lessons to improve engagement.”
Another participant noted, “I can now start the 2026 year better equipped to meet my learners where they are. I feel more confident identifying learning styles and barriers, and supporting not only academic progress, but emotional wellbeing as well.”
The pilot forms part of a longer-term rollout strategy. The initial training was designed to test relevance, applicability, and classroom impact, with plans to refine and expand the programme to additional schools over time. Follow-up monitoring will track implementation, teacher reflection, and observable changes in learner engagement, participation, and classroom management.
The Global Centre for Change Foundation funds this programme as part of its core education pillar, recognising that effective, inclusive education is foundational to sustainable youth development and employability. By strengthening teacher capacity and learner engagement at the classroom level, GCC aims to address challenges at their source, before disengagement, exclusion, and unemployment take hold.
Inclusive teaching practices reduce mislabelling, unlock learner potential, and create classrooms where a wider range of learners can succeed. Through privately funded initiatives such as this pilot, The Global Centre for Change Foundation is creating access to training that would otherwise remain out of reach for educators working in under-resourced communities.
About The Global Centre for Change Foundation
The Global Centre for Change Foundation is a South African non-profit company (NPC) with PBO status pioneering community-based education, integrating accredited training, micro-enterprise incubation and circular economy initiatives. Founded in 2025, the GCC is committed to building sustainable futures through collaboration, innovation and dignity-driven development.