The Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) hosted last week (17 January 2024) the ministers of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube and the Deputy minister of Higher Education Dr Mimmy Gondwe for an Open Discussion with the Deans of Education.
The meeting which was held at the School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH) on the University’s Auckland Park Bunting Road campus, was attended by leaders of key education entities such as the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), South African Council for Educators (SACE), Universities South Africa (USAf) and the Council for Higher Education (CHE) to name a few. Key to the event was the attendance of all the deans of education of the 26 public universities of South Africa.
The Open Discussion with the Deans of Education, annual event, aims to align teacher education with national priorities while addressing the gaps in teacher supply and demand.
A significant focus was on ensuring there are enough qualified practitioners in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector. Additionally, the discussion sought to strengthen Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) practices and innovate curriculum transformation. Enhancing the monitoring and evaluation of teacher education was also highlighted as a priority, alongside improving teaching quality through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and promoting lifelong learning among educators.
Giving her opening remarks, Chancellor of UJ, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka congratulated the two education departments on their collaboration.
“Its good to see the collaboration between the Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education. A while ago Vice Chancellor Mpedi and I attended a meeting convened by the reading panel. At this meeting we lamented the need for a closer collaboration between the two departments and what the impact of this disconnect was in the classroom.
“So, I hope today as we talk about the priorities of the country, and what we do as those who prepare, those who will facilitate the project of learning, we will indeed touch on this area,” she said.
In her address to the gathering deputy minister of Higher Education Dr Mimmy Gondwe thanked the Department of Basic Education for organising such a gathering.
“I wish to thank the Department of Basic Education for this gathering, and in particular for recognising the critical role that the Department of Higher Education has to play in the school system. Quality teachers are important for the development of a quality education system,”she said.
Dr Gondwe went on to highlight the role of teachers: “Teachers produce educated citizens who are more likely to participate actively in the economy, and in political processes while also enjoying a higher quality of life. In this way education contributes to social cohesion, stability and peace.
In her keynote address, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube highlighted the importance of a strong partnership between the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training.
“I am very happy Dr Gondwe that we are having this open discussion today. While there are many reasons that these two departments exist independently of one another, it is vital for us to remember that they represent an education system. If, in our thinking we are working in silos, we may just miss the trick of being able to optimise the levers that we have at both our disposal.
There are many things that we have shared responsibility over, and I’d like this engagement to not be the first or the last of its kind. In this way we can continuously have these conversations about how we become the conveyer belt for skills in South Africa. Where you go from foundation phase, all the way to further education and training, where we produce South Africans that will walk into the jobs market, skilled, with the ability to grow our economy.”
The gathering, then discussed various issues including the establishment of a formalised platform for ongoing partnerships and collaboration between the DBE and Faculties of Education to align policies by having joint action plans to address challenges including: funding models, entry requirements, teaching practices, and teacher placement.
Another outcome for the Open Discussion was for the alignment in the provision of Teacher Education and Qualifications as well as Continuous Professional Development.
