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Kwena Basin Extension Project (2025-2028): Term 1 Plans, 2026

Monday, February 2, 2026 - 08:00 to Friday, February 6, 2026 - 14:00
Monday, March 16, 2026 - 08:00 to Friday, March 20, 2026 - 14:00

Main activities for Term 1 (2026):

  • Baseline Data Collection

Baseline information will be gathered from both Project and Non-Project schools to establish a clear picture of current learner performance and enable meaningful comparison at endline.

  • Official Visit 1: Support and Mentoring

The Basic Concepts Foundation (BCF) team will visit all participating classes from 2–6 February 2026 to mentor teachers, provide feedback, and support the implementation of the Basic Concepts Programme (BCP).

  • Official Visit 2: Training and Mentoring

Continued professional development for teachers will take place from 16–20 March 2026, focusing on the introduction of the third and fourth conceptual domains – Size and Position.

Teachers will also receive ongoing in-class mentoring and support from onsite project fieldworkers to strengthen their mediation skills and deepen their understanding of the concept teaching process.

Before the course, I never focused on the main concepts as I never really thought them essential to "real life" as a speech-language pathologist. I now have a very different perspective on why these aspects are important and how they move cognition forward.

ZOOM TRAINING 2 FEEDBACK

The emphasis on language throughout the programme helps to develop learners' understanding of concepts and expand their vocabulary. The BCP stops learners from guessing, it gives them more structure and develops their cognitive functioning.

Metro Central Teacher Comment (July 2013)

I am really glad I made an effort to attend: Fantastic, enlightening, empowering.

Metro Central Education District, March 2014
Metro Central Education District, Teacher Training, March 2014

My concern about my learners’ language barriers and how to overcome these barriers has been solved for me.

Metro Central Training: Western Cape Education Department (October, 2015)

I love the programme. I was not aware of how to introduce a concept … . If I could reverse my years in teaching, I bet I would have produced mathematicians, scientists and doctors.

Metro Central Teacher Comment (July, 2013)

The Basic Concepts Programme is basically the same as Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. It is a way of teaching… it gives individuals a way to structure their thinking and reasoning. 

Mitchell's Plain Primary School, November 2015