A socio-educational evaluation of the pre-school initiatives in the Nongoma District of KwaZulu Natal

English: This research presents a socia-educational evaluation of the pre-school initiatives in the Nongoma district of KwaZulu-Natal. The researcher is of the opinion that socio-educatienat environmental factors in the rural areas do not support the successful implementation of pre-schooling initiatives. The historical background, in this research highlights certain social environmental factors in the rural areas. These factors translate into the school situation and consequently influence the educational effort. The literature review has shown that these factors can positively or negatively affect the educational efforts including the pre-school initiatives. The responses of the emperical research revealed that on the social scene, societal living conditions characterised by poverty, low educational attainments by the parents, ignorance of pre-school benefits, and poor communication channels across the social spectrum limit parental participation in a meaningful and far-reaching way. This research indicates that the educators in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal lack adequate skills needed to effectively handle pre-schooling in the management domain as well as in the classroom situation. Educators do not receive sustained support from the Education Department, as well as from the iziphathimandla (i.e. people in authority such as inkosi of the tribe, or the induna of an area). Remoteness of the rural areas from the urban areas and the lack of resources further complicate problems experienced by the rural teachers, and may negatively affect school initiatives, including pre-schooling. In the light of the findings, this research recommends that the socio-educational problems surrounding pre-school initiatives be addressed in the following way: education stakeholders are urged to encourage community participation in school initiatives, as well as stress governmental equitable distribution of available educational resources.