Cape Town - Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had the opportunity to see for herself the life-changing impact the School of Hard Knocks SA programme has had on pupils at the Good Hope Seminary High School.
On Wednesday, Frederiksen and her delegation visited the school in Gardens and actively participated in a School of Hard Knocks session with pupils.
Programme CEO, Jon Hunter-Parsonage said the School of Hard Knocks, established in 2017, helped under-resourced communities with mental health issues by making resources and support more accessible.
The Embassy of Denmark is a funder of the programme, particularly the Next Gen Men programme addressing mental health and wellness in men and boys.
“We put 500 men through the programme, which looks at promoting positive masculinities and combating violence against women and girls so with their help, and with the help of a few other partners, we’ve put 500 men through this programme and we continue to grow that programme,” Hunter-Parsonage said.
At Good Hope Seminary, weekly sessions are held with Grade 9 pupils. The programme runs for 26 weeks with five schools around Cape Town, all of which are no- or low-fee schools.
“We use sport as a way to teach different mental health and mental wellness elements. And the sport that we teach or the way that we use sport helps teach those skills as well. So whether it is about boundaries or relationships or self-image, we use a different game to teach those things.”
School of Hard Knocks counsellors conduct regular check-ins with pupils and when necessary, pupils are attended to by a relevant professional such as a social worker or doctor.
The programme does not isolate pupils, but works with parents, guardians and teachers too.
Principal Deslee Grobbelaar said Frederiksen’s visit was a highlight for the school, which be celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
Grobbelaar said they were fortunate to have a programme providing counselling at no extra cost to pupils or the school.
History teacher Sarah Wallace said the programme saved some pupils’ lives.
“We have a real issue and I think schools across South Africa have an issue with mental health issues – suicide, self-hard, depression, anxiety – so this organisation has been amazing in first getting learners to open up about these issues.”
Addressing the group of pupils, Frederiksen said: “The only thing that I would like to say to you is that, when you have such a strong voice when you are playing, you have to promise me one thing, that you are going to use that voice.
“Because this country is so beautiful and you have such an important history and you are such an important country to the rest of Africa and to the world, that we really need some strong, young voices of Africa and we especially need some young female voices.”