Cape Town - There is a glimmer of hope for children in skills and special needs schools, as the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has promised to address the educational gap that will be left by teachers who teach technical subjects in vocational and special needs schools in the next five years.
The WCED outlined to the Provincial Standing Committee on Education its plans to attract more young technical teachers into the schooling system, as well as the efforts to train them to teach in schools of skills and special needs schools.
With the only tertiary institute training technical teachers in country being said to be in Potchefstroom, DA spokesperson for Education in the Western Cape, Deidré Baartman, mentioned that for educators who teach at special needs schools, 47% of them are expected to leave the system while the new entrant rate is at 12% and for educators who teach at technical schools, 37% of them are expected to leave the system while the new entrant rate is at 20%.
Given this, education expert Rouaan Maarman mentioned that while the plan of the WCED is commendable, the need to first get all the basics right has never been more imperative now in order to ensure quality teaching and learning.
“If we look at the whole system we will find that the country and this province need a lot more special schools and special needs teachers. Too many pupils 'disappear' in the system due to challenging teaching conditions, and I imagine special schools and technical schools experience the same challenges and therefore we need to first get all the basics right across the schooling system to ensure quality teaching and learning. Hence, the country needs to expand the training of technical teachers at universities and work on projection models to attend to the needs in all provinces,” said Maarman.
Jakes Gerwel Technical School principal, Albert Mocke, mentioned that having far too few training facilities which train technical teachers has been the core problem, and he is glad that this is receiving attention.
“To employ teachers who are capable and trained to teach our pupils in schools of skills and special needs schools is very important because the teachers are the best to prepare our learners for the real world of work out there, however the real challenge rooted from having far too few training facilities which trained these teachers and currently artisans without a teaching qualification do not earn the same salary in education compared to what is available in the private sector.
“I hope the department will be able to recruit successful and skilled artisans, pay them enough to stay in education and equip and empower them with in-service educator training,” said Mocke.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said that the department has noted that many teachers teaching technical subjects are to retire within the next five years and
To prepare for this, the department is waiting for final approval for the creation of 50 posts to employ interested artisans in the mechanical, electrical and civil technology specialisations to pursue a career in teaching.
“The WCED plans to expand technical/vocational and agricultural offerings at schools. The intent is to ensure that we develop skills in the schooling system to meet the skills demand and post-school opportunities.
“We are also in collaboration with the Cape Teachers and Learning Institute (CTLI), to get a program in place to reskill and or upskill current teachers in the system to address the need. The initiative will enable the WCED to plan to meet the shortage of technical and vocational teachers as part of the strategy to implement the Three Streams Model.
“We have a range of professional development and support programs for teachers. Once the posts have been secured we will recruit the artisans for employment in our technical schools. They will be offered an opportunity to get a professional qualification to become a teacher through a HEI. Subject advisers and subject specialists will have an induction program and then continuously support these artisans while they are at school,” said Hammond.