Eastern Cape teachers are largely to blame for the poor performance in some provincial schools, education MEC Mandla Makupula said yesterday.
Tabling his policy speech at the legislature, Makupula said a survey on teachers’ performance revealed that most teachers in the province “are unable to grasp the content of subjects as evidenced by a range of factual errors made in content and concepts during lessons”.
Makupula said most reports on teacher competency in the province indicated that “the majority of teachers have not yet been sufficiently equipped to meet the education needs of a growing democracy in a 21st century global environment”.
He told the legislature that teachers’ poor conceptual and content knowledge contributed to low levels of pupil achievement in the province.
He said his department would adopt a three-pillar strategy of in-service training, pre-service training and teacher welfare and support this year.
“Our in-service training model is based on subject performance and language competency development support.
“To that effect, the department is scaling-up professional support through the certificate in the senior English language teaching programme,” said Makupula.
He said the programmes would assist 4555 teachers and subject advisors with content and methodology in the teaching of English first additional language.
“This is in line with efforts to improve the National Senior Certificate results in 2016,” said the MEC.
He added that one of the prerequisites for the programme’s success was the relocation of subject advisors and curriculum planners to the three teacher development institutes and district teacher development centres.
Pre-service programmes would concentrate on a talent search and channeling Grade 12 pupils to the teaching profession.
“This programme is an attempt to augment efforts by Fundza Lushaka and NSFAS funded programmes.
“Our pre-set programme is driven directly from the office of the MEC, where top pupils in gateway subjects from the province receive a fully-funded bursary to pursue a teaching profession.
“These pupils, upon qualification, receive priority in recruitment, and are contractually bound to serve the department for a specified period,” he said.
He said the teacher support and welfare programme was a new initiative aimed at supporting the general well-being and welfare of teachers, with services ranging from professional and developmental, to lifestyle advice services.
“Recent research by the Eastern Cape Gambling Board on gambling habits of our staff ... Medical reports on education staff admitted to health institutions is equally alarming,” he said.
Teachers blamed for EC’s poor results
Tabling his policy speech at the legislature, Makupula said a survey on teachers’ performance revealed that most teachers in the province “are unable to grasp the content of subjects as evidenced by a range of factual errors made in content and concepts during lessons”.
Makupula said most reports on teacher competency in the province indicated that “the majority of teachers have not yet been sufficiently equipped to meet the education needs of a growing democracy in a 21st century global environment”.
He told the legislature that teachers’ poor conceptual and content knowledge contributed to low levels of pupil achievement in the province.
He said his department would adopt a three-pillar strategy of in-service training, pre-service training and teacher welfare and support this year.
“Our in-service training model is based on subject performance and language competency development support.
“To that effect, the department is scaling-up professional support through the certificate in the senior English language teaching programme,” said Makupula.
He said the programmes would assist 4555 teachers and subject advisors with content and methodology in the teaching of English first additional language.
“This is in line with efforts to improve the National Senior Certificate results in 2016,” said the MEC.
He added that one of the prerequisites for the programme’s success was the relocation of subject advisors and curriculum planners to the three teacher development institutes and district teacher development centres.
Pre-service programmes would concentrate on a talent search and channeling Grade 12 pupils to the teaching profession.
“This programme is an attempt to augment efforts by Fundza Lushaka and NSFAS funded programmes.
“Our pre-set programme is driven directly from the office of the MEC, where top pupils in gateway subjects from the province receive a fully-funded bursary to pursue a teaching profession.
“These pupils, upon qualification, receive priority in recruitment, and are contractually bound to serve the department for a specified period,” he said.
He said the teacher support and welfare programme was a new initiative aimed at supporting the general well-being and welfare of teachers, with services ranging from professional and developmental, to lifestyle advice services.
“Recent research by the Eastern Cape Gambling Board on gambling habits of our staff ... Medical reports on education staff admitted to health institutions is equally alarming,” he said.
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