Staff Reporter
The Education Sector Committee of the National Commission for UNESCO in South Africa, in collaboration with the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and JET Education Services, hosted their 5th Teacher Conversation Webinar recently.
The conversation took place with three award winning South African teachers who were finalists of the Global Teacher Prize, a US $1 million award presented annually by the Varkey Foundation to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession. These teachers shared their journeys, including their joys and struggles, and how they dealt with obstacles.
Palesa Tyobeka, Chairperson of the Education Sector Committee of the SA National Commission for UNESCO, spoke of the importance of teachers in society. She said knowledge and education are the basis for all things that can be accomplished in life; and teachers provide the power of education to youth thereby giving them the possibility for a better future, Teachers simplify the complex, and make abstract concepts accessible to students. She further said the centrality of teachers is showing through more in themes for Global UNESCO initiatives. The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2023 for instance is “The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers” and for the focus on dealing with violence and bullying it is: “Not on my watch: the role of teachers in preventing and addressing school violence.”
Again, demonstrates the centrality of teachers not only in the education endeavour but in the broader development of communities. The Teacher Conversations assist in creating a platform for teachers to share and learn from each other as they grow in their profession. Tyobeka congratulated the organisers of the Conversation Series for paying attention to matters of inclusion by ensuring that there are sign language interpreters in the Conversations, particularly in light of the declaration of Sign Language as the 12th South African Language.
Prof Sarah Gravett, Professor of Education and former Dean of the Faculty of Education at UJ, facilitated the conversation by introducing the three South African teachers who were among the top 50 finalists in the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize and were asked to share their journeys with fellow teachers and educationists.
Phuti Ragophala, a retired school principal, who grew up in rural Limpopo, wanted to become a nurse, but became a qualified teacher instead – journeying from a learner under a tree to a Cloud teacher. Ragophala is a Microsoft Innovative Expert Educator, pioneering the integration of technology in the classroom, and has received many awards in recognition of her achievements.
“Teachers can redefine teaching and learning through technology and should embrace the importance of continued and lifelong learning; they should be willing to take risks and use stumbling blocks as stepping stones,” Ragophala said.
Wendy Horn, District Director for Education in the Western Cape Province, feels that her current position assists her to give back to education by uplifting schools and assisting teachers and principals in unblocking bottlenecks.
Horn, a beneficiary of Government’s Funza Lushaka bursary which seeks to attract quality matriculants to train as teachers in scarce skills areas, went on to win in two National Teaching Awards (NTAs) categories. She is passionate about Science, Technology, Coding and Robotics, and about empowering girls to become global leaders in these fields through participating in international championships.
Horn sees the need to develop critical and analytical thinkers with good critical thinking skills, for them to collaborate across different cultural groupings in a world that is shrinking with the use of social media platforms and the Internet.
Marjorie Brown finished in the Top 10 of the Global Teacher Prize. She is a former human rights activist, teaching History to girls in South Africa and encouraging social justice, critical thinking, and global citizenship. Her students have gone on to represent South Africa at youth forums, the Paris Climate Talks, and various Ivy League universities.
She also started and still leads the Kids Lit in SA programme, devoted to improving children’s literacy. This international competition was founded 26 years ago. South Africa has won three times over the past 13 years, despite it being the poorest country to participate. “Teachers must understand the context of learners to understand their challenges. There is a lack of literacy, reading skills and social entrepreneurial programmes. Education is about humans engaging with each other, more than with just textbooks.”
In conclusion, Dr James Keevy, JET CEO, reminded delegates about the South African Council for Educators’ (SACE’s) professional teaching standards for South African teachers, consisting of ten standards that are necessary and interlinking components of professional practice.
Teachers who are well-trained, supported and valued are essential to ensuring quality education for all and achieving UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4, towards quality education. For this reason, the 2023 World Teacher’s Day theme, “The transformation of Education starts with teachers”, is applicable to all teachers and not only those attending the Teacher Conversation Webinar.
INSIDE EDUCATION
