Presentation to the Education Portfolio Committee Teacher Education 27 May 2007

Focus of presentation Introduction The National Framework on Professional Teacher Education and Development Specific interventions

Introduction The role of quality teachers in the transformation of education in SA widely recognised; The issues identified as challenges include: –Lack of appropriate qualifications by teachers; –Poor conceptual grasp of the learning areas/subjects they are teaching in; –Poor understanding of and/or ineffective teaching strategies; –Inadequate numbers of qualified teachers in particular skills areas; –Poor training in the implementation of the NCS.

Initiatives post 1994 Since 1994 the DoE has designed a range of strategies to address the issues which included : –Upgrading teachers of unqualified and under-qualified teachers in 1999/2001 to in 2007/08 - (through the National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) –Introduction of Advance Certificates in Education for (699 enrolled in 2000; in 2006) further specialisation in a subject or discipline; retraining in a new specialisation; advanced study in one or more roles e.g. management and leadership; administration etc. –Orientation on the NCS for all grades for subject teachers, managers and curriculum advisors; –Bursaries to attract new teachers in specialised and/or scarce skills areas.

National Policy Framework on Teacher Education and Development: A comprehensive response Policy framework provides a comprehensive teacher education system which includes –Initial Professional Education of Teachers (IPET), including recruitment of teachers; –Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD), encompassing broad teacher development issues as well as preparation for the implementation of the NCS. Committed to providing and developing more teachers and better teachers for the system.

Supply of new teachers for the system: General comments Information on teachers’ specialisation in specific subjects and learning areas is not readily available Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) does not disaggregate data to subject/ learning area level data on teacher education enrolments collected from the Education Dean’s forum does not provide information at the level of subject/ learning area specialisation The Education Dean’s Forum has been requested to facilitate the collection of disaggregated data for 2008 In the long term, with the implementation of the HEQF, new fields may be added to the HEMIS reporting system and it is expected that this data will become available

Overall initial teacher education enrollments in HEIs 2007 (estimates) Total IPET registration DIPLOMAS Total DEGREES Total PGCE Expected IPET Completions Learnerships Already teaching Dip Deg PGCE Total Source: Teacher supply data (2007) Registrations per year of study & Expected completions (Morrow, 1 September 2007, figures supplied by Deans of Education)

Overall Teacher Education Enrollment per gender, “race” & phase (2007) TOTAL Registrations Across all HEIs MFAIWCFPIPSPFET Source: Teacher supply data (2007) Registrations per year gender. “race’ & phase (Morrow, 1 September 2007, figures supplied by Deans of Education)

More teachers – better teachers NPFTED published in April 2007 commits the DoE to increasing the supply and improving the quality of teachers for the system The Funza Lushaka bursary scheme was launched in 2007 to provide support for able candidates committed to teaching subjects in national priority areas including mathematics, the sciences and languages YearNo of bursaries awarded Expected graduations (all priority areas) (estimate) more than 1000

Supply of Mathematics, Science and English Language Teachers through the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme Distribution of Funza Lushaka Bursary awards (2007) per subject/ learning area Subject/ learning areaNo of students (across all programmes) Mathematics/ Mathematical Literacy 1079 Physical sciences123 Natural sciences37 Life Sciences158 English682 Total2079

Supply of African Languages Teachers through Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme 2007 Isi- zulu Se- pedi Set- swana Se- Sotho Tshi- venda SeSwa ti Isi- Xhosa Xit- songa tot Grad Distribution of Funza Lushaka Bursary awards (2007) per African Language across all years, and graduates in 2007

FUNDZA LUSHAKA BURSARY PLACEMENTS PROVINCENO. FORMS SENT TO PROVINCES APPOINTMENTS MADE BY THE PED APPOINTMENTS STILL TO BE MADE Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng 950 KwaZulu- Natal Limpopo 420 Mpumalanga 340 Northern Cape North West 110 Western Cape TOTAL

General comments on new teachers entering the system evidence suggests the supply of new teachers entering the system is increasing (approximately 6000 in 2006 to 8000 in 2008) this upward trend is expected to continue (buoyed by the implementation of the OSD, strengthening of the Funza Lushaka scheme, and proposed strengthening of teacher education provision in HE) As data becomes available the Funza Lushaka Scheme can be used more sharply to steer the planning for the provision of new teachers

Posts for new teachers challenges were experienced in placing the 850 new Funza Lushaka graduates in 2007 anecdotal evidence suggests that many new teachers find it difficult to get permanent jobs in the system, while inappropriately qualified and un(der)qualified teachers continue to be employed by provincial departments of education mechanisms to ensure newly qualified teachers are productively employed in the system will be explored (e.g. earmarking a certain proportion of posts for new entrants into the profession)

Teacher Development The DoE has to date had a three pronged approach: –Focus on developing subject advisors to ensure they are able to adequately support teachers in implementing the NCS (all grades) –Providing bursary support to upgrade un(der)qualified primary teachers to REQV 13 status, and to specialise in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) for the senior phase teaching –Special focus on teacher development in Dinaledi schools (secondary) and QIDS UP schools (primary)

CPTD: a strengthened focus on teacher professional development Teachers require ongoing opportunities for continuing professional development throughout their careers In 2007 the DoE and SACE established a joint task team to design a CPTD points system to encourage and support the continuing professional development of all teachers During 2008 the conceptual design will be finalised and a pilot study carried out to test the design A pilot study – scheduled for September will lead to the finalisation of a plan for the management and coordination of continuing professional development and the system will be phased in from 2009.

CPTD……. Continuing professional development activities may include formal qualifications as well as informal developmental activities Three types of activities are recognised: –Teacher priority activities (chosen by the teacher herself and concerning her own development and improvement of professional practices –School priority activities (focussed on whole school development and institutional conditions for the improvement of learning) –Profession/system priority activities (directly enhance the professional status, practices and commitments of teachers in areas of greatest need. This would include preparation for implementation of the NCS))

Current key initiatives: Support for teachers to upgrade qualifications and develop skills The DoE provides bursary support for teachers to upgrade their qualifications through the National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) –in 2007, 3000 teachers were supported to read a NPDE, and of these 566 have graduated with further gradations expected later in the year –in 2008, a further 1600 teachers are being supported to complete the NPDE Additional professional development programmes are planned to enable 9000 teachers to develop entry level ICT capabilities during 2008

Current key initiatives: Support for teachers to gain specialist MST qualifications The DoE also provides bursary support for teachers to complete ACE programmes for specialising in teaching Mathematics, Science and Technology in the senior phase –In 2007, 1275 teachers were supported to complete ACE MST programmes. The majority of these teachers are expected to graduate before the end of 2008 –In 2008, 2000 new teachers are being supported to complete these specialised ACE programmes. 11 universities are participating in the delivery of these programmes.

Research and future planning The DoE is committed to ensure that all teachers in the system become fully qualified and competent to teach in their areas of specialisation and recognises the importance of bringing coherence to the system A major research project to collect data on un- and under- qualified teachers in the system is underway A five year plan for a focused systemic approach to teacher upgrading to ensure that all teachers in the system are adequately qualified for their work is being developed and will be ready by the end of the year The plan will be implemented from 2009 and will work towards enhancing quality of teaching and learning and the development of professionalism in the system