​​​​​​​​Principals and teachers from 120 Gauteng schools engaged in discussion about the changing face of education in South Africa and the role primary educators’ plays to align education practically and effectively at the recent annual Life Orientation Teachers Seminar hosted by the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Student Marketing and Recruitment Department. ​

“Teaching guidance in life orientation is as important as all other learning areas in the school curriculum. Teaching guidance in life orientation plays a crucial role in a learner’s development,” said Ms Leoné Michaels, Student Marketer: Student Marketing and Recruitment, UJ.

Michaels states that that there is an increasing number of learners who face deteriorating family bonds, lack of shelter, out of wedlock births, abortion, HIV/Aids, death, drugs and alcohol abuse related crimes. “Learners require extensive guidance from educators especially on bullying, truancy, delinquency, lack of motivation, peer pressure and parental relationship problems. Educators sometimes experience difficulty in their ability to deal with such issues and challenges,” said Michaels. These sentiments were echoed by Dr David Molapo, a renowned motivational speaker and educationalist, who added that educators need to grow as educators and be able to develop the necessary skills to be able to change these negative challenges into positive outcomes.

Pieter Durandt, Manager: Student Marketing and Recruitment, UJ, said that the focus was on building strong, fruitful and long-lasting relationships with the University’s stakeholders, especially educators. “

The Student Marketers as well as the University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor: Academic, the director of the Student Enrolment Centre and Executive Deans from the UJ’s faculties of Economic and Financial Sciences and Engineering & the Built Environment had the opportunity to engage with the educators in an informal manner.