Qumbu district Life Orientation teachers and Unisa staff members (on far right: Prof Vuyisile Msila next to Mr Themba Manana. Mrs NE Msengana is wearing a pink jacket)

According to 2012 matric results, Qumbu is one of the worst-performing districts in the Eastern Cape with a 49.1% pass rate. The district’s pass rate dropped substantially by 10.3% compared to its performance in 2011. Some of the factors that contributed to this poor performance were the lack of scholar transport, a school nutrition programme (SNP) and learner teacher support material (LTSM), as well as the high absenteeism rate especially among teachers. As an intervention, Unisa’s Corporate Communication and Marketing Department in collaboration with the Department of Education in Qumbu organised a workshop for Life Orientation (LO) teachers. Around 85 Grade 9 LO teachers attended the event on 24 April 2013 at the Assemblies of God centre in Qumbu.

Prof Vuyisile Msila of Unisa’s College of Education gave a speech at the occasion entitled “Why professional development matters: Impact on self and learners”. Prof Msila urged teachers to continuously develop themselves in order to address the ever-changing needs of the classroom. While acknowledging the fact that in many instances teachers have to improvise with limited resources, Prof Msila believes that professional development is more about the will to succeed. According to Prof Msila, a number of aspects need to change before professional development can take place. Some pivotal objectives may be addressing the need for re-education, instilling a willingness to learn, breaking the teacher’s sense of isolation and most importantly putting the interests of learners first.

Teachers can develop themselves by enrolling for courses such as an Advanced Certificate in Education, an Honour’s Bachelor of Education or a Master’s of Education Degree at Unisa. These qualifications assist teachers to further their knowledge of various education disciplines and to improve learner success. Unisa’s Head: Tuition and Facilitation of Learning in the Eastern Cape, Mrs NE Msengana, spoke about how Unisa operates as an ODL institution and the need for Unisa students to be highly disciplined in order to succeed in their studies. To ease fears regarding E-learning, Mrs Msengana explained that most teachers already own cell phones and are part of the online community through social media platforms such as Facebook. Therefore, in the near future they will need to use their cell phones and other computer technology to communicate with Unisa.

By Achieve Ubisi

Educational toys and tools being marketed by various providers

The Association for the Education and Care of Young Children (AECYC) /Vereniging Vir Voorskoolse Opvoeding en Sorg (VVOS) celebrates its 70th birthday this year (2013). The AECYC started in 1943 as an organisation for the Afrikaans SAVF schools, over the years it developed into a bilingual, multi-cultural organisation for all interested parties involved in Early Childhood Development and pre-primary education. The main aim of the AECYC is to improve the education and care of young children and to promote developmentally appropriate practices. Practitioners are informed on legislation, research and practice in ECD. This is achieved through in-service training by way of seminars and workshops and, on occasion, the executive members also visit schools to give advice and help with the training of pre-school staff.Twice a year the association arranges a seminar, the most recent one was held on 13 April 2012. After the welcome by Me Nicolene du Preez (VVOS Management) and Ms Connie Wehrmann from the Faceless 4 Jesus Voluntary Team, the Dean of the College of Education, Prof KP Dzvimbo addressed the crowd.

Prof M de Witt and Prof KP Dzvimbo laughing during the laughter is the best medicine presentation

He was glad to see that 600 – 700 people had come to attend the ECD event on their Saturday morning and thanking them for their work as ECD teachers and practitioners who stimulate and prepare young children for their futures. Scientific research has proved that the care given in the first 1000 days is crucial in the development of a child. He was thrilled to see all the displays of toys and tools which are available for ECD teachers to help them in teaching the little ones. Prof Dzvimbo pleaded with all the qualified ECD teachers to please take hands with those people who are working with children in the townships and in rural areas. Our country’s children need them to share their knowledge and skills with those less fortunate teachers in order to address the disparities that still exist. South Africa can only get ahead if we all work together to get ahead and create a better world for our children’s sake.

Prof KP Dzvimbo inspires those attending the event to reach out and help those teachers working in townships and rural areas to pass on skills and techniques to stimulate young children

The AECYC invites all their members as well as non-members to come and attend their events: these are school owners, principals and practitioners in the public and private sector, as well as other role players concerned with the education and care of the young child.  They also invite product and service providers to exhibit their goods on the day. In this way they can give the members some exposure to the latest developments in educational services and toys which are for sale at the present time.

The next seminar is their 70th birthday anniversary seminar which will be held on 24 August 2013, again in the ZK Matthews Hall at UNISA. The Association for Education and Care of Young Children (AECYC), is a non-profit organisation. Their mission is:

• To be actively involved in promoting and improving the education and care of young children from birth to Grade R .
• To promote the importance of early childhood education, and to provide guidance, information and training.
• To support all parties involved in the founding, management and development of pre-school centres.
• To guide and support members in the process of registration with the Gauteng Department of Health as well as the Department of Social Welfare, that by law needs to be in place by 2014. The Association linked hands with these departments regarding registration.

Twice a year all affiliated members receive the Association’s magazine, Kleuterklanke / Learning Years. It has been published for the past 37 years. This magazine is produced entirely by volunteers and aims to keep members up to date with new developments in Early Childhood Education. Articles encourage teachers to implement and maintain high quality programmes and inspire them with stimulating new ideas for their classrooms. The AECYC has presented its seminars in collaboration with UNISA for the past couple of years and is most grateful for the support and cooperation of Dr Soezin Krog and the Department of Early Childhood Education.

Senate Hall filled to capacity with eagar ECD teachers and practitioners

The AECYC is also able to support practitioners with in-service training through World Wide Education Providers (Pty) Ltd that is an Accredited Distance Learning FET College, specializing in ECD. Moreover, they are in the process of providing learning materials for the birth to four-year-old curriculum which is being developed by the Early Childhood Development Institute of the Dept of Education Gauteng. These should be available soon. The organisation also holds a membership with the National Association for the Education of Young Children in the US, the world’s largest organisation working on behalf of young children.

Dr Mpho Dichaba, Prof Howard Sercombe and Dr Bernice Hlagala

The government of the Republic of South Africa (the Presidency) has joined forces with the Commonwealth Youth Programme – Regional Centre for Africa, University of South Africa and National Youth Development Agency to fast track the professionalization of youth development practice by organising an International Conference on the Professionalization of Youth Work in South Africa. The first Commonwealth Conference on Education and Training of Youth Workers in South Africa took place from 18 – 20 March 2013. The President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma attended the opening of the conference and spoke to a nearly full to capacity ZK Matthews Great Hall on 18 March 2013. He said that according to the 2011 Census report, one-third of our nation is under the age of 13, which makes us a nation with a future. This is why we need to invest in our youth to ensure sustainable development. It is also why it is important to have accessible and affordable education for the youth.

The opening of the conference kicked off with an address by Prof Howard Sercombe, University of Strathclyde, who said that young people who are growing up into adults can’t learn to do that from their peers as their peers have similar problems. Across Europe similar initiatives are being taken towards reaching a common understanding and code of ethics to professionalise the youth worker. This is a profession that is coming of age and is not an optional extra, but has become an essential. He emphasised that young people are not the problem; they are alive and will adapt to the world that is given to them. They become something good as they walk alongside people in the process of their becoming. Youth work provides such guidance and it needs to be articulated. Universities play a role in this because their job is to develop their nation. The process needs the support of government since the resources can’t come from the young people and young people deserve to be developed.

President Jacob Zuma and Prof MS Makhanya (Principal & Vice Chancellor of Unisa) listen attentively to a keynote speaker at the Commonwealth Conference on Education and Training of Youth Workers

“53 % of our people are under the age of 15, and with high unemployment rates for young people who are under the ages of 35, business cannot be as usual,” said Dr Bernice Hlagala, the Presidency. In her speech she highlighted the current dire statistics. She emphasised the lack of employment opportunities for the graduates that come out of their teaching and training programmes. This necessitates the creation of a more structured, recognised and professional status for youth workers in support of the young. “It is important that as a collective we aim to establish education and training in the youth work sector.  Young people need to be trained and educated for their future to take shape,” said Prof Makhanya, the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of South Africa. The conference created awareness of youth work practice worldwide. It also advocated for continued support of and commitment to the process of youth work professionalization. Speakers shared national experiences, particularly on the journey towards professionalization, the status of youth work in terms of professional association, code of ethics and access to professional training in youth work. It emphasised the necessity to

• develop feasible strategies to fast track the professionalization process
• facilitate initiation and/or strengthen national associations for youth workers at regional and national levels
• initiate establishment and strengthening of youth work associations nationally, regionally and globally
• advocate for increased collaboration among youth workers, academics and researchers in youth work

There was consensus at the end of the conference that a platform should be provided for teaching youth work as development training. The following was recommended:

• Education can be used as a platform for youth development. So, educational institutions, especially universities, should take the lead.
• Non-governmental organisations should continue with their mandate of developing youth.
• Youth worker professionalization is of great value to economic growth, regardless of the theories that pose a challenge to the nature of its being professionalised, whether the approach is bottom-up or top-down.
• Professionalising youth work requires an assessment of the situation where the education/training provider and state join hands together to create a curriculum informed by the country’s economic needs. Life experience should also count, regardless of previous exposure to academic levels.
• A youth worker is a multidisciplinary/inter-professional person and the word “specialisation” should be understood as an area of focus. Youth specialisation is a journey that has many dimensions.
• Young people, who are to be the consumers of the standardised curriculum, need to be considered so that the youth professionalization process benefits the country where is implemented.
• Consultation should take place with people of the land and with institutions of learning so that the youth, as consumers of programmes, may be subjected to standardised programmes done by the accredited bodies of the region.
• Conditions should be improved by youth workers being creative, and opinions gathered from the youth on how they think they can contribute to their communities.
• Youth workers should intervene in the processes of how the youth are able to function properly.
• Youth workers have to learn to integrate different youth into programmes so that they can be identified and helped, and actively engaged in the work that helps our national development.
  

  Presentation of conference outcomes

All in all, more clarity was gained on how to chart the way forward for incorporating professional youth workers into our society. A brave move was made towards implementing all the plans, with a code of ethics to be proclaimed, financial structures implemented, procedures to be developed, education, training and skill development programmes and accreditation to be put in place – action is what is needed now.

Mrs Qwelane, South Africa’s oldest educator with Prof LDM (Oupa) Lebeloane, Director of the School of Educational Studies, during the lecture on African Education systems of the past few generations.

Mrs. Nontsikelelo Qwelane, South Africa’s oldest teacher, delivered a thought provoking  lecture at Unisa on the 22 of March 2013. The lecture was organized by the School of Educational Studies with an objective to reflect on the state of education in South Africa. Qwelane’s lecture focused on the education of black South Africans from the time of the missionary schools to the post- apartheid education system. She outlined the evolution of education systems in the country and their relationship to social, political and economic systems.

According to Gogo, as she is affectionately known by her students, education systems do not exist in a vacuum. The Slave education in the Western Cape during the time of the Dutch East India Company, the missionary education systems and the apartheid education system, all these systems had their own objectives and ideals. “During the time of the apartheid government the education of black people was purposely and deliberately impoverished” says Qwelane. However, The de Lange Commission of 1981, centered on the provision of the education for black in South Africa and was one of the efforts made by the government of the day to amend the wrongs of the past which were caused by the Bantu Education Law of 1953.

Mrs. Qwelane believes that efforts are being made currently to improve the syllabus, by means such as the introduction of National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and the new Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). She is also pleased by the fact that bursaries are now available to many academically deserving students. Gogo also acknowledged that even if the current syllabus was good, most teachers who are teachers of the new syllabus, are products of the apartheid syllabus.

Mr Talifhani Munzhedzi (Unisa Radio, Deputy Station Manager), Dr Bernice Hlagala (Director: Youth Development, Presidency), Magdalene Moonsamy (Chief Operations Officer, NYDA), Mr Akwasi Arko-Achemfuor (Lecturer, Department of Adult Basic Education, UNISA) and Ms Olethabo Maboya (Unisa Radio)

Challenges confronting the youth in South Africa such as HIV, STI’s, unemployment, access to quality education, child headed households and limited opportunities, are well documented in contemporary society. For some time now, higher education institutions such as Unisa have offered and trained youth workers through its Diploma in Youth Development. However, the profession still lacks a proper career path. This is primarily because anyone can practice as a youth worker in youth development institutions such as NGO’s and community organisation without any training. Another challenge that confronts this sector is the lack of a code of ethics and a professional body which governs who is eligible to be a youth worker. Unlike teachers, nurses and accountants, which are required to register with their respective professional bodies, and who have to adhere to a certain code of conduct, they are also not remunerated equitably based on their qualifications and experience.

In an effort to address these challenges the South African Government, in partnership with the Commonwealth Africa Regional Centre, University of South Africa (UNISA) and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) will be hosting an international conference on Education and Training of Youth Workers (CCETYW 2013) from 18-20 March 2013. The objective of the conference is to engage various public, private, academic and diplomatic stakeholders on the importance of capacity building for youth workers in order to professionalize the sector. By doing so youth workers will assist in creating a sustainable intervention to understand and solve problems that are facing the youth. Furthermore, professionalizing the sector will ensure that youth workers receive respect and financial gains for their work as compared to them being volunteers with no pay.

As a critical stakeholder the higher education sector is expected to make a meaningful contribution to this cause. They will do so by developing programmes that are relevant and will produce graduates that are qualified and will come with innovative ways to address youth development issues. In South Africa, there are already Institutions of Higher Learning that are educating and training youth workers namely: University of South Africa, University of Venda and Stellenbosch University.

There have been a number of interventions that were established in the past to tackle the youth challenges such as Love Life and the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency. The ever changing dynamics of a modern society necessitates a greater need to have professionals who are trained and dedicated to focus exclusively on the needs and development of young people.

Submitted by Achieve Ubisi

Dr Dikeledi Mahlo welcomed Prof David Martin to Unisa and thanked him for being willing to come and address us on cognitive techniques

On 4 February 2013, Prof David Martin gave a guest lecture at Unisa. In setting the scene for his presentation, Prof Martin mentioned that he had read much on the topic of deaf and cognitive education. In light of the fact that the curriculum is being revised and there is a need for courses to be designed for the University, he focused on several issues.

Prof Norma Nel listens attentively to Prof David Martin during his interesting presentation

Firstly, he let the group who gathered for the presentation experience some cognitive techniques so as to illustrate the kind of levels on which students need to be able to operate. Prof Martin also sketched an academic context in which he mentioned various educational researchers. These included Harry Harlow, who conducted experiments with primates in the 1940s that proved that cognitive rewards are intrinsic and that education is food for the brain. He also referred to Vygotsky, who argues that students need the opportunity to construct their own understanding of the subject matter that they are interested in and learning about, and Howard Gardner, who formulated the theory of multiple intelligences. Intelligence is not a fixed or immutable entity so, rather than asking how intelligent a person is, ask how he is intelligent. People have to develop independent problem-solving abilities. We need to think about how one arrives at an answer and also how one teaches another person to do so.

Prof Martin’s speciality is presenting workshops that teach the principals of how to include critical thinking skills and strategies in teaching and lecturing. Trends in the explosion of knowledge indicate that by 2020, knowledge will double every 73 days. This makes it quite clear that human beings really cannot know everything. It thus becomes important to teach students how to develop their own knowledge production and to develop “thinking schools”, because intelligence is by its very nature dynamic. People need to learn to solve a problem, know how to ask cognitive questions and be able to build a bridge to other areas of knowledge. For a three-year programme to be developed, the first stage is to find the patterns, then to orient the personal space and finally to be able to make comparisons.

Prof Martin also related an inspiring story about a group of nuns in the northern part of the United States who all remained very bright and spritely into a very old age (90s). The secret of their success was very rich neurological connections, because they spent their time in the convent playing games and doing puzzles to keep themselves engaged and active. This enabled them to deal with mental deterioration better. It is very important to remain mentally and physically active as this keeps you “young” despite reaching an “old” age. In conclusion, Prof Martin said that mental enrichment really helps people to improve their intellectual abilities.

Professor S Maile standing in the middle left of the back row together with the people who came to attend his lecture

The first African Connection lecture of 2013 was presented by Prof Simeon Maile from TUT. The topic he spoke on was Education and the recession: Challenges of affordability among working class parents in South Africa. He spoke on how individual family income is increasingly insufficient to cope with educational needs. Cutbacks in government education subsidies increase the burden on households. Without government support working class families will not be able to educate their children as the cost of educating children has increased tremendously.

In his ideal world we would be living in a society where an equal education can be had by all, whether in a township school or in a Model C school. He argues for the government to spend the same amount on every child, no matter where they might be enrolled for school. Currently the township schools receive more money per child than what is spent on the children at a Model C schools. He did some research into what various professions earn and what people spend their money on. Transport and water and electricity were major costs in working class parent’s spending patterns and most of them are not able to pay the fees charged at a Model C school. If every child receives the same amount from the government, he feels more schools would become an option for parents who wish to give their children schooling in town rather than in a township. Professor Gumbo thanked Prof essor Maile for the insight he gave us into the education situation we currently face with the affordability of good schooling in South Africa.

Prof KP Dzvimbo presents his welcoming address to SAERA conference delegates

During the first SAERA Conference held from 27 -30 January 2013 at Bela Bela, new ground was broken with the establishment of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA). Prof KP Dzvimbo opened the conference. On the first evening the EASA medal was awarded to Prof Eleanor Lemmer for her excellent research contributions to the field of Education over the past 26 years at Unisa. Professor Lemmer thanked Unisa in her acceptance speech and said: “Unisa has given me many opportunities to develop as an academic. Beside financial support, I value most highly the freedom to follow my own research interests unhindered; a richly endowed library; and as research professor working at home, the gift of solitude which I require to practise my craft in my own idiosyncratic way. For the full speech, click here.

Prof Bob Lindgard

Various keynote speeches were delivered during the conference. On Monday 27 Jan, a keynote address was presented by Prof Bob Lingard from Queensland University, Australia on the National Educational Research Organisations: the Promotion of Education(al) Research in a Globalising World. This address sketched the path which the Australian equivalent of SAERE followed since its inception in 1976, giving good insights to help focus the South African activities in this regard.

Prof Crain Soudien (UCT), Prof Catherine Odora-Hoppers (Unisa) and Prof Joe Muller (UCT)

Another keynote on day two, by Prof Joel Samoff from Stanford University in the USA, was centred on Unasked Questions Remain Unanswered: Addressing Learning for All. The keynote speaker on day three was Prof R Govinda from New Delhi, India which dealt with Exclusion and inequality in Indian School Education. On the last afternoon a keynote panel consisting of Prof C Soudien from UCT, Prof Odora Hoppers from UNISA and Prof J Muller also from UCT discussed the Curriculum, Knowledge and the South African educational moment.

During the conference a new over-arching organisation of SAERA was officially established and formally constituted at 12:54 on Tuesday, 29 January 2013. Prof Louis van Niekerk from Unisa/Nadeosa presided over the election process. The following members of the general meeting were nominated and seconded and accepted the nomination: Prof SM Motala (affiliations, UJ), Prof Aslam Fataar (US, SACHES, EASA, Kenton), Prof Maureen Robinson (Wits, Kenton), 4 Prof F. Eldrie Gouws (Unisa, EASA), Dr Ari Naidoo (Private), Prof Vusi Mncube (Unisa, SASE), Prof Gamse Wimke (Wits, Emisa, SAAMSTE), Prof Lesley Wood (NWU, EASA), Prof Volker Wedekind (UKZN, Kenton, SACHES), Prof Nazir Carrim (Wits), Prof Charl Wolhuter (NWU, SACHES), Prof Wayne Hugo (UKZN, Kenton) and Dr QK Semuli (Unisa, EASA). Prof SM Motala was nominated, supported and accepted to be interim President.

With thanks to Tony Mays (conference report) and Esta de Jager (photos) for their input to this article.

Prof Eldrie Gouws thanks Prof Bob Lingard for his interesting keynote address	Prof Petro Marais congratulates Prof Eleanor Lemmer on her EASA Gold Medal Award
Dr N Naidu getting to know a new CEDU colleague, Prof MD Magano	Prof Nazir Carrim, Dr Veli Gasa and Dr Prem Heeralal enjoying the drumming workshop
Conference delegates back: Prof Elza Venter, Prof Gherda Ferreira, Dr Johan Swanepoel and Prof Anne-Mari Dicker and in the front, Reda Davin, Dr Elize du Plessis and Prof Dalena Vogel showing of their various hats during one of the evening functions	Prof R Govenda from NEUPA, New Delhi, India
CEDU colleague, Dr MZ Ramorola sang an opera item at the formal function	Young musicians playing at the formal function

South African Research Association for Early Childhood Education

The South African Research Organisation for Early Childhood Education (SARAECE) is a research association that promotes research and research development for early childhood education (ECE). Their aim is to promote quality ECE education in South Africa and to act as a voice for all involved in ECE. Members of the organisation can enjoy many benefits such as:

• Two issues of the South African Journal of Childhood Education annually
• Newsletter which are available on the website to keep you informed about SARAECE activities
• Reduced registration fees for the SARAECE conferences
• Voting rights at the annual general meeting
• Networking with other national and international academics working in the area of ECE.

The SARAECE organisation was founded with the aim of achieving the following:

Dr N Naidu

• Provide an academic forum in SA for the development and dissemination of research
• Promote links between research, practice and policy in ECE
• Facilitate cooperation and collaboration among researchers in SA working in the ECE field and
• Raise the visibility and status of research in ECE in SA.

Congratulations also to Dr N Naidu on being chosen as one of the committee members. For more information on the organisation, please visit the SARAECE website www.saraece.org.za

Dr N Nkopodi, Dr P Heeralal and Brain Gray

Brian Gray, renowned Science Education Lecturer (ret) shared his story on his extensive involvement with various science education projects around Southern Africa in mainly rural areas. He began the lecture by presenting a timeline of his fascinating journey with science education. Brian is one of the co-founders of the Science Education Project (SEP) in the late 1970’s. After this he became involved in KwaNgwanase, Ingwavuma and Mbazwana, in some of the most remote and rural areas of Northern KZN which borders on Mozambique. With the focus on intrinsic motivation for the professional development of Science Educators, the Kwa Ngawanase Science Project (KSP) was formed by a network of teachers from that area in the early 1990’s. They arranged meetings and developed their own in-service training (INSET). Brian says it is a one of the challenges to not let INSET be driven extrinsically by the Education department but that a compromise between grassroots and top-down approaches needs to be found in these projects.

Dr Prem Heeralal listening the Brain Gray while he answered a question which showed how well versed Brian is in his field

By 2005 the KSP had decided to get involved in the national Science Expo for young scientists by first understanding the concept and then getting their learners involved. To encourage and develop ‘out the box way of thinking’ took about three years. By 2008 the kids in KwaNgwanase were winning medals at regional and national finals of science EXPO. By 2010 two of the learners from the area had won gold medals at the KZN regional finals in Durban followed by winning medals at the National Science Expo. These successes spurred other learners on to continue entering their projects into the Science Expo. When their science teacher left, some learners teamed up with a local doctor to study the quality of learners’ eyesight. The study showed some learners had poor vision and remedial action was arranged by the Health Department.

This is an example of how getting involved in Science expos results in learners immersing themselves in real life science and as a result they learn a myriad of science process and problem solving skills. Developing these skills encourages learners to strongly consider pursuing tertiary studies in the critical areas of science and engineering. Brian elaborated on similar projects in Lesotho and Zimbabwe and it appears that with even fewer resources our neighbours seemed to achieve more. It goes to show that the biggest resources are the Science educators themselves and when intrinsically motivated they become champions of best practice.

Brian Gray together with interested Maths, Science and Technology lecturers from the College

A most fruitful interaction with Unisa staff ensued after the lecture. The model of CPD that Brain follows is to help establish teacher-driven networks that are supported by some outside resource person (friend). He currently supports nine such networks in RSA, five in Zimbabwe and one in Lesotho. He encouraged UNISA staff to consider outreach to teachers in rural areas in the same way. The Executive Dean, Prof Dzvimbo thanked Brian for sharing his experiences and the lessons he learnt and requested all to put renewed vigour into addressing the critical challenges facing Science, Technology and Maths education in Southern Africa. Prof Dzvimbo encouraged staff to do so using the triad of research, tuition and community service. Thank you also to Dr Nokopodi, Dr Ngoepe and Dr Heeralal, a past student of Brian, for establishing and setting up a collaboration link with Brian Gray.