At the start of the year, Bulungula College launched its structured extramural programme offering soccer, netball, athletics, music and choir, art, dance and drama. Learners choose their activities and participate in weekly sessions, making sport and the arts a regular part of the school week. These activities support the development of the whole learner by building confidence, encouraging teamwork and helping learners discover their strengths, navigate setbacks and form positive relationships. They also give learners time to be active, express themselves and have fun, while taking a much-needed break from the demands of academic work.
Although South Africa recognises extramurals as a necessary part of a holistic education, access remains unequal. Many rural, under-resourced schools lack the facilities, equipment and staff capacity to offer regular programmes. For our learners, opportunities beyond the classroom are particularly important. Many are working towards becoming the first in their families to complete matric and enter Bulungula College with significant gaps in their earlier schooling. The pressure to perform academically can be considerable, alongside the normal changes and challenges of adolescence.
Sibabalwe Goqwana, our mental health counsellor, leads the programme, drawing on her experience supporting College learners over the past couple of years. Since it began, she has noticed gradual improvements in classroom behaviour, growing participation, and greater confidence among some learners, particularly those finding new opportunities to succeed and receive encouragement beyond the classroom.
The activities are also helping to build a positive school culture, giving learners a sense of belonging and shared pride in their school. They make school a place where learners can enjoy themselves, feel supported and connect with one another.
A recent photography workshop led by Charmain Carrol extended these opportunities for creative expression. Charmain is a photographer, educator and founder of the Bavulele Ntsikhwe Mbokazi Art Centre near Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape. Her work combines visual storytelling with arts education and community development, helping young people develop skills and tell their own stories.
Alongside camera basics, learners explored how photographs communicate emotion, identity and memory through light, colour, composition and body language. One exercise challenged them to photograph an emotion without using words. In “Three Versions of Me”, learners worked in pairs to share their stories and create photographs reflecting who they were, who they are and who they are becoming. Another exercise, “A Memory I Carry”, invited them to photograph a person, place, object or detail connected to a memory. This past week, learners showcased their work at an exhibition, sharing the images and stories they had developed.
Our goal at Bulungula College is to support learners to complete matric while developing as confident, well-rounded young people. The extramural programme is part of this commitment to the whole learner, giving them opportunities to explore their interests, build relationships and recognise their abilities as they prepare for life beyond school.