University of Johannesburg Education Faculty community engagement function,
University of Johannesburg
24 April 2007
Vice Chancellor, Dr I Rensburg
Pro Vice Chancellor Professor, D van der Merwe
Deputy Vice Chancellors, Professor A Parek and Professor A Redelinghuys
Dean Gravett
Faculty and educators
Good evening
Last year in September I addressed a conference organised by the project
called Community Higher Education Service Partnerships (CHESP).
The CHESP project was created within the joint education trust in response
to government's 1997 White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education
(HE). The white paper called for pilot programmes and feasibility studies on
the potential of community engagement in HE.
Since then CHESP has worked closely with the Department of Education and the
Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on HE to advance community
engagement in South African HE.
The project of infusing community engagement into HE programmes has been
very successful. Since June 2004 community engagement and service learning have
been considered for accreditation in all South African Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs).
At the CHESP conference in September last year I proposed that community
engagement should become a "core value" in our universities.
It is a core value because these programmes engender a life long commitment
among students to community engagement.
More community service programmes now exist at universities than ever
before.
The concept of community service is very diverse including medical community
service in hospitals, legal aid clinics on our campuses and a range of other
initiatives that promote community development.
Apart from programmes directed at tutoring school pupils or at the
professional development of teachers, there is no university supported
education community engagement. This launch is almost certainly a first for an
education faculty in this country:
* tutoring and classroom assistance provided by students
* psychological counselling provided by post graduate students
* academic staff available to host workshops when needed.
The importance of this initiative to teachers cannot be overemphasised. All
of you are fully aware of the immense challenges confronting education in South
Africa. The challenges range from teacher competence right through to the basic
provision of water and sanitation.
We have been designing various interventions to address the complexity of
education transformation. The strategies seek to respond to basic resource
provision, to success in non-traditional subjects, to the promotion of positive
values and new learning and teaching opportunities.
It is very obvious to all present here that the key to unlocking the full
potential of South Africa is a competent, committed, multi skilled professional
teacher.
The recently adopted national policy framework on professional teacher
education and development is designed to play a key role in transforming
teachers into the change agents described above. I am grateful to all the
stakeholders who have played a role in its development.
The policy framework makes provision for initial professional education for
teachers and continuing professional teacher development. This policy clearly
depicts a move towards an integrated model of teacher training in our
institutions.
The partnership that is launched today offers a new opportunity for the
university to use its intellectual resources to develop an understanding of the
reasons for the poor performance of some of our schools and to work with
teachers to support success.
The partnership must be a purposeful partnership. CHESP has been outstanding
in its belief that community engagement should have development and not
scrutiny at its core. This is why I anticipate that academic progress will be a
central part of the partnership.
The partnership includes parents and the general community. Given that it is
an education based partnership I am hopeful that efforts will be made to secure
parental support for school and university; such support could include focused
development work with local school governing bodies in an effort to empower
these structures to exercise their mandate.
Work with learners and youth also holds out much promise. How can we secure
youth buy in to a positive future free of the scourge of HIV?
The proposed tutoring in maths and science is also very welcome. I hope the
tutors will be oriented toward educating and will be persons competent in their
particular discipline.
The availability of role models for our learners will be of immense benefit
in giving learners insight into future possibilities.
The university will also benefit through supporting the tutors and working
with them to encourage research, academic success and community
development.
I trust that some of the student participants will decide to become
teachers.
We have already launched the national "Fundza Lushaka" (educate the nation)
full cost service bursary programme with an allocation of R700 million over the
next three years.
The first 3 000 service bursaries have been awarded to bright students who
are willing to commit themselves to a career in teaching and want to train in
priority subjects and learning areas where teachers are in short supply such as
mathematics, science, technology [including information and communication
technology (ICT)] and indigenous languages, English and the foundation
phase.
Teacher education and training is a national priority. Community
partnerships support our objective of transforming HE into an intellectual hub
that has a dynamic link to the broader social goals of our country and to the
importance imperative of creating new knowledge.
Thank you!
Issued by: Department of Education
24 April 2007
