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The Department of Education (DoE) is to embark on a three-year programme [1999 - 2001] to improve the status of hundreds of unqualified and under-qualified educators trained under the former bantustans.

This matter was a subject of discussion at the last meeting of the Heads of Education Departments Committee [HEADCOM] last week.

It was found that there were a number of educators who were teaching as unqualified educators, due to the fact that they still required one subject for the completion of their initial professional teaching qualification.

Most of these educators were previously under jurisdiction of the former Department of Education and Training [DET} as well as the previous homeland regions and Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei states.

In order to accommodate these educators and to enable them to obtain a professional qualification, the authorities granted permission with effect from November 16, 1985, that their efficiency to teach the relevant subject, in most cases Mathematics, might be evaluated by a circuit inspector in the classroom.

Since this evaluation procedure has been phased, out it would be necessary to provide these unqualified educators, who are one subject short, with an alternative opportunity to obtain a professional qualification.

The Committee on Teacher Education Policy {COTEP} appointed a subcommittee to investigate the matter and make recommendations in the regard.

At the COTEP meeting of November 13, 1998, it was decided that the following recommendations be referred to HEDCOM for consideration and approval:

* Educators with an incomplete pre-1996 Primary Teacher's Certificate or a Teachers' Diploma (PTD or STD) should be provided with an opportunity to complete their pre-COTEP Norms and Standards qualifications.

* Such persons should receive recognition for all subjects passed in their incomplete qualifications.

* Accredited teacher education In-service Teacher Training (INSET) providers will be requested to devise a special supportive programme for these educators and assist them in order to succeed in the completion of any additional work required of them.

Different methods of assessment could be applied. For example, assignments, portfolios classroom performance, written and oral examinations, taking into account the principle of recognition of prior learning.

* On completion of the programme, the institution concerned will then issue the certificate or diploma with an endorsement to the effect that the teacher has fulfilled the requirements of the qualification in accordance with a COTEP/HEDCOM decision.

* This unique opportunity will only last for three years, until the end of the year 2001.

* In their right-sizing of College/School (CS) educators, provinces should be requested to bear in mind that some of their unqualified and under-qualified teachers might be in the process of completing their professional qualifications under this special dispensation.

Should the recommendations be approved by HEDCOM, provincial departments of education and teacher unions will be requested to inform everyone concerned of the opportunity to complete an unfinished teachers' qualification.

Teacher education institutions will be notified accordingly in due course.

For further details contact: Khume Kangala
Tel: [012] 312-5030
Fax: [012] 325-4419/324-6346

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