More than 300 Eastern Cape school principals, deputy principals and heads of department from two under-performing districts participated in a training programme aimed at creating better schools.
The three-day School Management Team (SMT) training programme, organised by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), through its Curtis Nkondo Professional Development Institute, saw 330 school heads from in and around Butterworth and Dutywa descending on East London for the training this past week.
The training was held from June 9 until June 11 at the King David Hotel.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, the union’s vice president for education, Veronica Hofmeester, said the high demand of school managers wanting to attend the training was proof that school managers in the province were eager to produce better results at their schools.
“We had so many requests from school managers who wanted to take part in this programme but unfortunately we had to turn them down because we had exceeded the requirement number,” said Hofmeester.
She said the school managers were trained on instructional leadership skills, how to deal with learning barriers and creative approach.
“Based on our research we established that most school heads do not know how to manage their schools because they were never equipped with management skills.
“We also taught them skills on how to manoeuvre around learning barriers, which includes transportation problems and poverty which boils over to the schooling environment. Lastly we trained them on how to have a creative approach to the various issues faced in their schools,” said Hofmeester.
Sadtu media officer, Nomusa Cembi, said the training was aimed at fulfilling the union’s 2030 vision which is pillared on, among others, servicing of union members and creating a learning nation.
Cembi said the union was running the programme in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the education training Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP- Seta) which provides funding.
“While the overall aim of the learning programme focuses on placing overall planning and preparation in the hands of the principals, we understand that this is just one step in many to enable principals to organise their schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning,” said Cembi.
The principal at Mapasa Junior Secondary School in Centane, Ntsizwazandile Dandala, said the training was a reminder that in spite of the challenges such as the shortage of learning resources and teachers, simple motivation from school managers, teachers, parents and pupils could go a long way in creating conductive learning and producing better results.
Union helps two of EC’s struggling districts
The three-day School Management Team (SMT) training programme, organised by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), through its Curtis Nkondo Professional Development Institute, saw 330 school heads from in and around Butterworth and Dutywa descending on East London for the training this past week.
The training was held from June 9 until June 11 at the King David Hotel.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, the union’s vice president for education, Veronica Hofmeester, said the high demand of school managers wanting to attend the training was proof that school managers in the province were eager to produce better results at their schools.
“We had so many requests from school managers who wanted to take part in this programme but unfortunately we had to turn them down because we had exceeded the requirement number,” said Hofmeester.
She said the school managers were trained on instructional leadership skills, how to deal with learning barriers and creative approach.
“Based on our research we established that most school heads do not know how to manage their schools because they were never equipped with management skills.
“We also taught them skills on how to manoeuvre around learning barriers, which includes transportation problems and poverty which boils over to the schooling environment. Lastly we trained them on how to have a creative approach to the various issues faced in their schools,” said Hofmeester.
Sadtu media officer, Nomusa Cembi, said the training was aimed at fulfilling the union’s 2030 vision which is pillared on, among others, servicing of union members and creating a learning nation.
Cembi said the union was running the programme in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the education training Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP- Seta) which provides funding.
“While the overall aim of the learning programme focuses on placing overall planning and preparation in the hands of the principals, we understand that this is just one step in many to enable principals to organise their schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning,” said Cembi.
The principal at Mapasa Junior Secondary School in Centane, Ntsizwazandile Dandala, said the training was a reminder that in spite of the challenges such as the shortage of learning resources and teachers, simple motivation from school managers, teachers, parents and pupils could go a long way in creating conductive learning and producing better results.
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