A partnership has been established between the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA), the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Investec to develop quality teachers of mathematics, science and English through a school based training model located in ISASA schools to broaden teacher recruitment.
The partnership responds to the urgent national challenge to train greater numbers of quality teachers provides an alternate, value-adding approach to initial teacher education and shares lessons to improve teacher education and enrich communities of practice.
International examples
In other countries where there are acute shortages of teachers, the private sector has played a key and innovative role in increasing teacher supply. Alternative models for attracting teachers into classrooms and training them are essential, as many countries have realised. Relying only on universities, which offer a traditional academic model with limited teaching experience, will not solve the problem.
Such initiatives include:
‘Teach First’, a UK-based private sector initiated programme for top graduates to spend two years working in challenging secondary schools in London and Manchester. “Teach First” aims to build the leaders of the future by providing high quality teacher and leadership training, school-based training, coaching and business links. Similarly, ‘Teach for America’ strives to enlist the energy and commitment of dynamic young graduates who have the characteristics and leadership skills necessary to teach in impoverished inner city schools and help eliminate educational inequality. As both programmes are highly selective and prestigious, participation in the programme is perceived as an honour.
A recently launched UK government initiative, similar to the South African partnership, aims to promote 'on the job' teacher training instead of in university-based courses. It plans to have 500 designated teaching schools operating by 2015. This initiative ushers in a new era in the relationship between state and independent sector working together so that trainees can learn from the best teachers and develop the professional skills.
The ISASA M&E Programme has a recruiting strategy to identify suitable individuals with a passion for teaching and the requisite high-level results to succeed academically.
It targets:
- high achieving school leavers with at least 60 % and higher in maths, English and science
- 22 – 26 year olds who have some university credits in maths science and English who have incomplete degrees
- Graduates who want to experience the reality of a school environment and experience the links between theory and practice
“I believe it is the best model...because teaching at the end of the day is about growing people and you can’t learn it from a book, can’t learn that in a university.” (Edward Matabane: P.G.C.E. Graduate and ex St Stithians intern)
Roles of the partners
Through the Funza Lushaka Bursary scheme, the Department of Basic Education will support the programme management, selection, recruitment and funding of the full study costs of 200 FET, senior, intermediate and foundation phase teachers between 2013 and 2020. The DBE will place the qualified teachers in public schools.
The ISASA Maths and English Programme select and places interns in ISASA host schools for the full duration of their undergraduate or post graduate studies. The model exposes interns to excellent resources, role-modelling and the expertise in school based internships which reside in ISASA schools. They gain continuous classroom experience; close mentoring support and experience the rhythms, realities and routines of quality school environments. A key element is central project management to quality assure all inputs through coordination, monitoring and external evaluation.
“[Interns] are following role-models in a highly-functioning school and they will emerge as excellent teachers. The model broadens these young people’s experiences. They are exposed to good venues, good training and good opportunities for social integration.” (Mentor Vuleka School: Gauteng)
Investec funds and supports the vital value-added elements of the programme which include orientation for the newly recruited school based teacher interns; an academic support programme for the duration of their distance education studies through UNISA; training of school mentors and exposure of interns to communities of practice e.g the annual AMESA congress.
The ISASA M&E Programme, established in 2008, is now a tried and tested model of teacher development having produced 30 FET mathematics teachers with 50 more in the pipeline is now poised for growth.
The partnership between ISASA, the Department of Basic Education and Investec is an alternate, proven and dynamic answer to the challenge of developing quality teachers in the priority subjects of maths, science and English using both public as well as private resources. The multiplier effect of such qualified teachers who will be placed in public schools after their four B.Ed degree or one year P.G.C.E Post Graduate Diploma qualifications means that hundreds of learners will benefit from their sound knowledge and experience of mathematics, science and English teaching.
