teachers
3 August 2006
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is working with various
role-players in the engineering industry to develop in-service training
programmes for teachers who teach mathematics, science, technology and related
subjects in grades 10 to 12.
Engineers from various disciplines will over the weekend discuss strategies
with WCED on building effective partnerships with schools and teachers and will
provide lesson plans and materials that can be used in the classroom.
The engineers will attend a training session on Friday and Saturday, 4 and 5
August, hosted by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest technical
professional society. The training session will be held at the Waterfront in
Cape Town and will include representatives from the national as well as all
other provincial education departments.
The training session will be held under the auspices of the Teacher
In-Service Program (TISP) Training for South Africa. The initiative aims to
help teachers in all provinces. TISP will assist schools as they implement the
new curriculum for Further Education and Training (FET) in schools. It is a
proven programme that will leverage existing engineering skills in the
country.
The training session is being co-ordinated in association with the
Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), the South African Institute of
Electrical Engineers, the South African Institution of Mechanical Engineers,
the South African Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Professional
Engineering Technologists and the Chamber of Engineering Technology.
Said Western Cape Education MEC, Cameron Dugmore; "Our country needs to
produce at least 13 000 engineers per year but produces just above 3 000. In
addition there is half-a-million vacancies in the areas of communication and
information technology, engineering and financial services.
"The aim of our focus schools is to develop skills needed to meet the
objectives of the Micro Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) of our provincial
government by increasing numbers in our FET colleges while also encouraging
learners to enter Higher Education (HE) especially those planning to study
maths, science and technology.
"This programme is an excellent example of how all sectors can co-operate to
improve the quality of education in the country and to build the scarce skills
we desperately need to grow and share the economy.
"We are deeply grateful to the engineering industry taking part in this
programme and look forward to working with them as we develop the teaching
skills and knowledge of our teachers."
For more information contact:
Doug Gorham
Tel: (011) 732 562 5483
E-mail: d.g.gorham@ieee.org
Nico Beute
Tel: (021) 460-3657
E-mail: BeuteN@cput.ac.za
Gert Witbooi
Cell: 082 550 3938
Paddy Attwell
083 261 7699
Issued by: Department of Education, Western Cape Provincial Government
3 August 2006
