Forty-three years in education have earned Gauteng educator Duduzile Constance Nkuna the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th National Teaching Awards.
Nkuna, who is from Sekampaneng Primary School, began her teaching career in 1983 and has served as a teacher, Departmental Head, Deputy Principal and Principal.
Hosted annually by the Department of Basic Education, the awards recognise and celebrate educators whose dedication, innovation and leadership strengthen teaching and learning across South Africa’s diverse schooling system.
The award ceremony was held at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni, Gauteng, on Thursday, and was addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Nkuna's career includes 21 years at PL (post level) 1 level, 10 years at PL2, one year at PL3 and 12 years at PL5 level, where she currently serves as a principal.
She spent 10 years as Departmental Head for English, Social Science and Life Skills and also served as an Annual National Assessments (ANA) Examiner at the Department of Basic Education.
Her journey began in the Foundation Phase, where she taught Grades 1 to 3.
“I began in the Foundation Phase (Grade 1-3) where I learned the true definition of teaching – patience, phonics and nurturing,” she said in her submission for the awards.
She later moved to the Intermediate Phase, teaching English, Social Science and Life Skills, and also served as a teacher leader in Tshwane North, including training educators in the North West on policy implementation.
Over more than four decades, Nkuna has taught through significant changes in the education system, from the former Department of Education and Training (DET) system through Outcomes-Based Education (OBE), Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) and Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).
“The curriculum changes from the old DET system, through OBE, RNCS, CAPS; I learned that changes are constant and an educator is a lifelong learner. The core values that have shaped me are the learners, teaching in overcrowded, under-resourced classrooms that methodology must adapt to reality and creativity can replace resources,” she said in her submission.
Legacy
Working with parents, communities and colleagues has taught her that teaching was about more than delivering subject content.
“After 43 years, I am no longer just teaching subjects - I am building people, and this is the legacy I carry,” she said.
Despite her long service, Nkuna continues to place emphasis on preparation, punctuality and compassion. She still "arrive[s] first, prepare every lesson and treat every learner as my own child."
She also believes in ensuring that no learner is left behind, differentiating her teaching, providing remedial support after hours and mentoring fellow educators.
“I am most proud of turning around struggling learners,” she said.
Many of the teachers she has mentored have since progressed to become Heads of Department and principals themselves.
Nkuna said the award gives recognition to decades of service that often goes unseen.
“I entered this category not for recognition, but to give voice to 43 years of dedicated service often unseen in our profession,” she said in her submission.
For her, the recognition is also a message to the learners, colleagues, school and community she has served throughout her career.
“This recognition shows my learners that hard work and good values are rewarded; for my colleagues it affirms that long service and integrity matter, and for my school and community it proves that quality education can thrive even in under-resourced contexts and that a teacher can be a pillar of the community for over four decades,” Nkuna said.
About the awards
The awards aim to focus public attention on the positive aspects of basic education, enhance the public image of the teaching profession, and recognise, appreciate and promote excellence in teaching performance.
Finalists from across the country were recognised in a range of categories, including Excellence in Grade R Teaching; Excellence in Primary School Teaching; Excellence in Primary School Leadership; Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (FET); Excellence in Secondary School Teaching; Excellence in Secondary School Leadership; the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award; and the National Best Teacher Award.
In his address, President Ramaphosa called for greater investment in teachers and stronger support for educators, adding that better educational outcomes depend on creating the conditions in which teachers can focus on teaching.
READ | President calls for greater investment in teachers
The ceremony was held under the theme: “Uniting for Excellence: Elevating Achievement, Empowering Educators to Shape South Africa’s Future.”
– SAnews.gov.za
