Pearson Marang Education Trust (PMET) was established in 2008 as a Public Benefit Organisation to support best practice solutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes within challenging, under-resourced and disadvantaged contexts in South Africa.

The aim is to contribute sustainably to the broad education community through direct provisioning of research-based professional development and support to teachers and SMTs in selected rural and township schools in six districts across six provinces. PMET integrates professional and personal development to provide meaningful, effective and sustainable teacher and learner-centred solutions that can make a difference in schools and classrooms.

PMET provides support that embodies systems thinking principles and practices that are employed to engage meaningfully with under-resourced schools. The intention is to share good practice with district officials who could engage all schools similarly. The model proposes best practices for training, coaching, mentoring, supporting and monitoring educators to enable them to become effective, efficient, independent role-players in schools that are transforming learning organisations.

PMET partners with public schools in a four-year cycle. The key focus is to significantly develop, support, improve and sustain school leadership, curriculum implementation and learner results. School-based support includes workshops and mentorship of school leadership in the management of curriculum, and of teachers in the teaching of Mathematics and Reading.

The developmental efforts focus on improving leadership and management in schools in order to facilitate the development of the school and the individuals who learn and work therein. Principals and School Management Teams are central to all endeavours, as are teachers who are supported to employ teaching, learning and assessment practices that are inclusive and learner-centred. Emphasis is placed on deepening Maths knowledge and skills and improving learners’ ability to read in order to learn more effectively. This is achieved through adopting a whole school approach to understanding challenges and addressing them in a solution-focused way.

PMET employs a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach which prioritises the involvement and insights of principals, SMT members, teachers, learners, district officials and other stakeholders including unions and SGB members. PMET conducts a baseline study in each partner school prior to commencing any support interventions. Various quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques are employed to generate data on various aspects of school functionality, and learner performance in Mathematics and Reading to Learn, to determine the support that a school needs. Findings are sheared with the schools and a programme of support is co-created with teachers and the SMT.

Monitoring and Evaluation processes are implemented through the lens of Action Research. The overall objective of the research conducted by PMET is to create successful school, district and provincial support and development models that could be replicated in other under-resourced schools across districts and provinces.

PMET began its school-based support with 16 deep rural schools across four provinces in 2008. In 2015, the reach was extended to six provinces supporting 111 deep rural and township schools. The team includes twelve district-based facilitators/research assistants who are responsible for direct support provision to schools. These facilitators are coached and managed by the Research and Development Manager and supported by a Programme and Administrative Manager. The team is collectively responsible for organisational strategy and is involved in making decisions that drive the implementation process on the ground."