Teachers from across the country are being “sent back to school” as the Department of Basic Education steams ahead with the 1+4 Maths Teacher Training Programme.
Teachers are required to meet once a week on a pre-determined day and present the curriculum to be taught that week.
In addition, teachers must write a competency test to prove their understanding of the work, with the department calling for no less than an 80% pass mark for the teachers. The programme, targeted at high schools, was implemented by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in January and is expected to run for two years.
Department of Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga, said the programme would improve the maths performance in all schools “not just poor-performing schools or poor-performing districts”.
“Right now we are focusing on the senior phase but we are also looking at primary schools as well so we can see uniform improvements in all schools across the country.” While an 80% pass for all teachers is required in the pre-training and post-training tests, Mhlanga said teachers who consistently under-achieved would not be fired.
“If they continue to under-achieve then they will be sent for specialised training to receive more support. We just want the teachers to be competent. The idea is not to punish anyone, ” Mhlanga said. The Eastern Cape is one of three provinces which kicked off the programme in January, with the rest of the country expected to join in next month.
With the lessons taking place during school hours, schools have been encouraged to change their timetables and increase the time allocated to maths lessons on other days in order to compensate for lost classroom time.
Teachers will be financially compensated for their travel expenses. Mhlanga said: “This translates into a whopping 23 days in a year dedicated to intensive training and discussions on mathematics content and methodology.”
This radical approach would expose teachers, on a weekly basis, to a total of 30 days a year of training, development and support. Grade 9 maths teacher Lukhanyo Mtya from Ndyebo-Ntsaluba Senior Secondary School in Tsomo said the training sessions were giving teachers confidence in the classroom.
Mtya said the lessons held in a local school in Cofimvaba once a week were “helping us develop lesson plans and discuss how best to present the curriculum to the kids”.
Mhlanga said pupil performance would be tracked before a decision was taken on whether the training should continue past the two-year mark. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za
Teachers go back to class to figure it out
Teachers are required to meet once a week on a pre-determined day and present the curriculum to be taught that week.
In addition, teachers must write a competency test to prove their understanding of the work, with the department calling for no less than an 80% pass mark for the teachers. The programme, targeted at high schools, was implemented by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in January and is expected to run for two years.
Department of Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga, said the programme would improve the maths performance in all schools “not just poor-performing schools or poor-performing districts”.
“Right now we are focusing on the senior phase but we are also looking at primary schools as well so we can see uniform improvements in all schools across the country.” While an 80% pass for all teachers is required in the pre-training and post-training tests, Mhlanga said teachers who consistently under-achieved would not be fired.
“If they continue to under-achieve then they will be sent for specialised training to receive more support. We just want the teachers to be competent. The idea is not to punish anyone, ” Mhlanga said. The Eastern Cape is one of three provinces which kicked off the programme in January, with the rest of the country expected to join in next month.
With the lessons taking place during school hours, schools have been encouraged to change their timetables and increase the time allocated to maths lessons on other days in order to compensate for lost classroom time.
Teachers will be financially compensated for their travel expenses. Mhlanga said: “This translates into a whopping 23 days in a year dedicated to intensive training and discussions on mathematics content and methodology.”
This radical approach would expose teachers, on a weekly basis, to a total of 30 days a year of training, development and support. Grade 9 maths teacher Lukhanyo Mtya from Ndyebo-Ntsaluba Senior Secondary School in Tsomo said the training sessions were giving teachers confidence in the classroom.
Mtya said the lessons held in a local school in Cofimvaba once a week were “helping us develop lesson plans and discuss how best to present the curriculum to the kids”.
Mhlanga said pupil performance would be tracked before a decision was taken on whether the training should continue past the two-year mark. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za
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