By Bhekisisa Mncube
Durban – Basic Education Deputy Minister Enver Surty today wished all teachers a Happy World Teachers’ Day, praising the vital role of teachers in education and development.
Surty was speaking at the World Teachers’ Day Celebrations held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban on Saturday.
“…Teachers have always been the guiding light ensuring the flames of hope do not go out even when the road is too hard to travel and the seas too stormy to sail,” he said.
South Africa today joins the world in honouring and commending teachers for the sacrifices they make in ensuring learners get quality education, even under trying circumstances.
Celebrated annually on 5 October across the globe, World Teachers’ Day was set aside by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1996. Held under the theme 'A Call for Teachers', the 2013 celebration will be a societal engagement that calls on all stakeholders, including aspiring young teachers to join in the celebrations of this noble profession.
Surty said South Africa was beginning to see progress in the implementation of the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development.
The Minister said the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), has seen over 200 0000 teachers being orientated on the new curriculum imperatives.
The Department of Basic Education has distributed 400 000 copies of teacher guides on the workbooks. It has ensured the training of 200 Foundation Phase and Intermediate Phase advisors and specialist trainers.
Through its teacher support programmes with teacher unions, in 2011 alone a total of 25 518 teachers were reached. In 2012/13, the programme contributed to the training of 55 922 union members.
In addition, Surty said the department has concluded strategic partnerships with Vodacom, CISCO, Mindset, Unisa, MTN and other partners to strengthen the capacity of teacher centre through the improvement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and content for teacher development.
He also announced that in Mpumalanga, the former Ndebele College of Education Siyabuswa campus has been re-opened through a formal agreement between the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Mpumalanga Department of Education and University of Johannesburg.
In KwaZulu-Natal, he said a project has been initiated regarding the establishment of a new teacher education programme at the former uMzimkhulu College of Education site. A feasibility study is already underway.
In Limpopo, the Deputy Minister said discussions have been initiated with senior staff at the University of Limpopo and provincial education department regarding the establishment of a new teacher education campus.
In the Eastern Cape, he said two potential sites for new teacher education campuses have been identified, the first being the former Cape College of Education, and the second being a school in a township in Grahamstown, which is facing closure due to dwindling students’ numbers.
Additional developments include the decision by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to locate teacher Foundation Phase teacher education at the Missionvale campus and possible location of a foundation phase programme at the Whittlesea campus of Walter Sisulu University.
He revealed that the department had prioritised the Eastern Cape in an attempt to eradicate mud schools. He said a project to rebuild 49 schools had been initiated.
He said today President Jacob Zuma is in Mbizana, Eastern Cape opening and handing over one of the completed schools to the community -- Ethridge Junior Secondary.
Surty also heartily thanked all teacher unions for their dedication to the noble cause of delivering better conditions of employment for teachers and towards improving schooling in general.
According to the Global Competitiveness report 2013, South Africa is ranked 23rd out of 148 countries in terms of quality of management schools, this places South Africa ahead of New Zealand, Germany and Australia. – SAnews.gov.za
