I write this as an ex-teacher and headmaster of 40 years’ experience, whose family has been involved with education for many years. A recent comment in one of the newspapers that the dropping of OBE was not a cure-all has prompted me to write in support. While acknowledging the inequalities in education, one has at the same time to give credit to the role played by dedicated teachers. Apart from the hard work in the classroom, true teachers willingly participate in helping to organise sport and cultural activities. It seems to me that many teachers today are in it for all the wrong reasons.

It’s amazing how learners, parents, even teachers themselves, are still grappling with the answer to a big question that is frequently yet silently asked to the ordinary teacher: “Was teaching your chosen job, or your calling?”. Is it a fictitious dream or ideology for teachers to move up the remuneration ranks without leaving their calling?

To improve education, SADTU must match its words with its deeds. Any discussion on education in South Africa inevitably begins with a litany of its failings. These collectively constitute an “education crisis”. Like most truths that are repeated often enough, this litany has turned into political cliché and lost the power to shock. That is why the new angle, in a speech by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga this week, got people listening again.

Englishnet is a new website created by English teachers, for English teachers. It was created specifically to host resources for the teaching of the  South African English Language curriculum. This website offers a range of resources from lesson plans, to programmes of assessment, electronic marksheets, specific lessons on the prescribed literature, etc. It also has [...]

Ek wil nie voorgee dat ek ooit myself gesien het as onderwyser nie, en daarom was dit nogal ‘n aanpassing om weer gewoond te raak aan die roetine van skoolgaan. Soos enige jong onderwyser, was ek aanvanklik skepties en selfs ‘n bietjie skrikkerig.