The Big Read: Lessons in how to help schools

Every year hundreds of millions of rands are spent outside of government to change our schools, but very little of that money makes any difference at all.

The sources of such generous funding include businesses, family trusts, private foundations, wealthy individuals, international agencies and local communities themselves through religious bodies, sport associations and universities. Why does so much money from outside the state make so little difference?

Here are 10 things you should never do with money if you wish to make deep and durable changes in South African schools.

Do not drop off money at the school gate. Giving money without demanding results is a waste of precious resources. Givers should require a link between resources and results - "If I give you the money, prove to me you can improve your academic results" is a reasonable condition. Too often giving is motivated by guilt or the feel-good factor.

Do not buy computers or microscopes unless you can ensure they will be used by trained people and will be fixed when they inevitably break. There are countless stories of laboratory equipment remaining in unopened boxes long after the donors leave. Schools without trained teachers to use complex equipment will not risk experimentation; we know that. Schools without secure storage facilities are at great risk of having expensive technology stolen; your money could disappear by the time your car leaves the premises.

Do not work with children. Work with teachers. If your focus is on improving the mathematics or accountancy results of learners, working with the children means you have to come back every year to do the same thing forever into the future. If, however, you solve South Africa's number one problem in education - the subject matter competence of the teacher - you do this once and the problem is solved. A well-trained teacher on site every day makes much more investment sense than helping students directly since they come and go every year.

Do not put your money into a chronically dysfunctional school. If you invest in a school, make sure there is a reasonable chance the school can turn your limited resources into better results. A seriously dysfunctional school, even if it has one or two well-meaning educators, will render your investment meaningless if it has no predictable timetable, teachers are routinely absent, gangs prowl outside the gates, and classes are overcrowded. There must be a minimum threshold of order and constancy before external funds can yield internal results, otherwise it is money down the drain.

Do not fund fancy technologies, such as iPads, unless the basics are in place. State-of-the-art technologies mean nothing if children can't read at the grade level, if the writing books are not filled with student writing, if textbooks did not arrive, and basic maths can't be done. Make sure these simple routines of learning are in place rather than distract students with technological gimmicks.

Do not, as a non-state donor, put your money into school buildings or any other physical infrastructure. That is the role of government. If you are the kind of foundation that does sponsor school buildings, always make your contribution contingent on a 50% contribution from the state. That is where our tax monies should be going - building and maintaining school properties.

Do not put your money into in-service teacher training because it is a waste of time. Put your money into on-site mentorship programmes in which the most talented and experienced teachers and principals from outside work alongside their colleagues on the inside to change educational outcomes.

Do not give money once. No single donation is going to change much. Have a plan. Spread your money over at least three years and require cumulative gains in measures of student learning or principal competence or parental participation. If you commit, do so for more than one year.

Do not lose focus. The only reason schools deserve external funding is to improve learning outcomes for the children. Happy teachers at workshops or travel opportunities for principals are not the reasons we run schools.

Do not pay teachers for coming to workshops. There is an industry in foreign currency across Africa where international donors pay teachers stipends in dollars to attend training workshops. Yes, it supplements meagre salaries, but no, that is not why you should give money to education.