CSD expands its borders...

Date Released: Wed, 20 April 2011 17:20 +0200

In a recent proposal to the Sishen Iron Ore Community Development Trust, three institutes at Rhodes University were awarded funding to engage in a three year Bachelor of Education (In service) degree aimed at improving teacher development in two education districts in the Northern Cape. The Centre for Social Development (CSD), The Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA) and the Rhodes University Mathematics’ Education Programme (RUMEP) will each offer B Ed (in service) degree to 36 teachers from both the Frances Baard and John Taelo Gaetsewe Education districts.

A delegation from all three institutes visited Provincial Department of Education Officials in Kimberley as well as District Officials in Kuruman recently to discuss an implementation plan that involved the recruitment of suitable teachers for enrolment for these degrees. The project will officially start in 2012 and be completed in 2013. It will involve students attending contact sessions at Rhodes University as well as on-site support and visits to the teachers in their schools.

The first cohort of 15 graduates in a groundbreaking collaborative partnership between CSD and the Rhodes Education Department graduated during the recent Rhodes graduation ceremony held on 08 April 2011. CSD is the only such ECD institute attached to a Higher Education Institute that offers a career path option for in-service ECD practitioners. They are able to start with a Level 4 (equivalent to a matric qualification) proceed to a Level 5 and then enrol for the BEd degree.

Many children are arriving at the Foundation Phase unprepared for the demands of school. Most teachers at the ECD phase have received little to no training for this particular phase, and lack the specialised knowledge and skills needed to teach competently such young children. This qualification will help to address this problem. It was estimated that in 2009 the Eastern Cape Province alone needed 700 new Isi-Xhosa speaking Foundation Phase teachers. The number of Foundation Phase teachers managing to graduate from universities in the EC totalled 4. CSD and Rhodes have managed to significantly increase that number with the recent graduation of the 15 graduates, 7 of them Isi-Xhosa speaking. This year 28 students enrolled for the 2011 course staring in January.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS for a BEd Foundation Phase (in-Service): Applicants should hold either a three year’s teacher’s qualification such as a Diploma in Education (JPTD/SPTD/NPDE) or a National Diploma: ECD. Applicants should be practising ECD practitioners or teachers.

Through the various ECD courses offered by CSD ECD teachers and practitioners are trained to provide children with quality ECD programmes that will address the development targets set by National Government, the Millennium Development Goals and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) resolutions. Finally this project will improve accessibility to knowledge and information that will encourage growth and development of the community.