On Friday 16 July 2021, The University of Johannesburg (UJ) Soweto Science Centre (SSC) in partnership with the Department of Basic Education, Africa Teen Geeks and UNICEF hosted a virtual Teacher Training workshop. The forum aims to equip teachers with the necessary skills needed to create an effective online environment for learning.

“This is pertinent considering that online engagement is the new norm and it (or a hybrid approach) will likely remain the medium of instruction in the foreseeable future”, says Dr Cerene Rathilal, a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg and organiser of the workshop.

The Soweto Science Centre (SSC), in the Faculty of Science, was primarily established to address pressing problems associated with human capital development, which South Africa as a member of the global community of nations is grappling with. “The mandate of SSC is geared towards the provision of tuition to learners and development of teachers in order to improve the quality of mathematics and science education in South Africa”, says Dr Lungile Sithole who is the Director of the Soweto Science Centre.

“Teachers play a noteworthy role in the upliftment and transformation of our society, as such, it is important that they receive continuous training and development,” added Dr Sithole.

Teacher training workshops are hosted annually at the SSC, where skills and competence development are a key part of the programme. The Teacher Development Program seeks to promote the professional development of teachers on a broad scale. The program runs in tandem with UJ’s learner enrichment program thus providing meaningful learning opportunities for both teachers and learners.