Dr Rajandran Naidoo, the PGCE programme head at Sacap, says: “This is a quality learning pathway for those who want to transform their undergraduate degree into a career in teaching. It is ideal for those who want to make a positive impact on education in South Africa, and successful graduates of this one-year programme will be eligible for registration with the SACE (South African Council for Educators).”
The PGCE being a professional vocational programme, student teachers will gain vital competencies to effectively mediate and facilitate teaching and learning. There is a focus also on developing capacities to promote inclusivity, as well as to build critical and innovative thinking skills in the classroom. The programme includes a work-integrated learning (WIL) component so that students get essential experience in applying theory to professional practice in different school contexts.
Successful graduates will have the know-how and confidence to interpret the National Curriculum Statement and deliver learning experiences based on the aims and principles of the Life Orientation curriculum and their chosen elective, either English or Geography.
Dr Naidoo says: “Sacap’s PGCE offers young undergraduates interested in teaching careers several routes forward. They may want to become a Life Orientation teacher promoting a values-driven education that helps to build the strength of character in the youth and ultimately a more peaceful and harmonious society. It’s also an excellent learning pathway for those who see themselves making a difference in improving low levels of literacy by becoming an English language teacher. It will also suit those who are thinking of becoming a Geography teacher because they want to contribute to inspiring an appreciation of the environment and its preservation.”
The PGCE also empowers students to develop guidance, counselling and specialised learning support skills. This means they would be capable of screening, identifying, assessing and supporting learners with barriers to education, and able to provide social-emotional support in the form of lay counselling where necessary. These are in-demand skills in South African school environments where learners are grappling daily with the impacts of poverty, violence and a host of other socioeconomic and psychological challenges in their communities.
Sacap’s PGCE is an NQF level 7 vocational training programme that is available as a full-time training programme at both its Johannesburg and Cape Town campuses. Registration is open to holders of undergraduate degrees with Psychology at the least at NQF level six and either English or Geography also at the least at NQF level six.
More information and 2024 registration for Sacap’s Postgraduate Certificate in Education is available here.
