‘Them and us’: Lessons learnt in an educator – therapist collaboration

Background: Children in South African low quintile schools face multiple barriers to learning, with handwriting difficulties being a key concern. Access to on-site occupational therapy (OT) is limited because of human resource constraints. In response, final-year OT students from the University of Cape Town collaborated with Grade R educators at a low quintile school, training them to implement an educator-led, classroom-based fine motor programme. This approach was guided by evidence supporting collaborative, contextually relevant interventions. Aim: The study aimed to describe educators’ experiences of the training and explore factors influencing the implementation of the fine motor programme. Setting: Low quintile primary school in the Western Cape, Cape Town. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive design was used. Three Grade R educators were purposively selected and trained. Two focus group discussions were conducted to gather their perspectives on the training and implementation process. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed inductively to identify themes and categories. Results: The central theme, ‘them and us’, captured the divide between stakeholders. A lack of communication, exclusion, unclear role expectations and resistance to change emerged as key challenges. These issues limited collaboration and undermined opportunities for shared learning and mutual support. Conclusion: Collaborative school-based OT requires deliberate investment in relationship-building and role clarification. Contribution: Without these, inclusive and effective implementation of interventions remains unlikely, and learner development may be compromised.