The Eastern Cape Department of Education hosted a Disability Career Awareness for pupils living with disabilities to plead for employment opportunities.

The awareness was held at King Sabatha Dalindyebo College, Cicirain Mthatha on Monday, 04 December 2017. The program was initiated to observe and provide effective and conducive environment for disable pupils.

Grade 11 students from Nolitha Special Schools in Mount Frere, Sphamandla Mgijima said that” we’d like the government to provide us with formal employment opportunities because after most students living with disabilities complete school, they have nowhere to go.”

Another learner from Thembisa Special School, Asiphe Tyengani said to the delegates that employment would integrate him with society.

Provincial Department of Education Director of Special Programme Vuyisile Victor Mkentane said, “We are calling up on all structure of government and the private sectors to help us easy the backlog of providing employment to qualified young people living with disabilities.”

He further stated that there is a plan in place to address the employment of qualified young people living with disability issues. “We are currently collecting data of unemployment matriculants living with disability. We want to create a system that will help to generate employment for them in the form of internship, learnership or help get them into tertiary institutions.”

Principals from Special Schools said they were not living issues unattended.

Pamela Mgoduka, educator from Tsolo Special School said that “We try our level best to teach our students survival skills. We are networking a lot, we go ask for assistance in various organisations to employ our students but more needs to be done.

The expo formed part of the celebrations for the disability rights awareness month celebrated annually between the 3^rd of November and December.

About 12 newly elected Eastern Cape Department of Education’sDistrict Education Forum (DEF)converged in Port Alfred for theirinduction meant to empower them on issues relating to their operations, power and relations with the district management.

The induction forms part of the department’s responsibility to ensure that these DEFs are inducted properly to discharge their duties during their three-year-term of office.

Addressing the first induction session, ECDoESuperintendent General (SG) Themba Kojana stated that education priorities and expectations need all hands-on deck.  The SG emphasised that the mission of the basic education is to provide quality public education and therefore, the DEF is key to achieving that.

“We can only achieve this purpose if all parties play their roles, the department supplying and utilizing teachers that are highly qualified in order to produce great results in the province, while DEFs provide leadership where necessary to guide other societal institutions interested in contributing towards the realisation these goals”, said Kojana.

The SG furthercautioned thatleadership without accountability is the flawed, therefore key to the functionality and effectivenessof these DEF is responsibility.  “The DEF need to understand how the norms and standards for school functionality in the districts because when department is providing education we talk of funding, infrastructure and books therefore all those things are driven by norms and standards,” he stated.

Also in attendance was the Member of the Executive Council (MEC), Mandla Makupulawho gave a political overview during the induction.  He outlined theacceptable levels of performance which are used to measure education standards in keeping partnerships with stakeholders.

“Critical issues that are adversely affecting the delivery of quality public education include less contact time between the learner and educator and this is due to teacher absenteeism in most cases.  This is why we have introduced our own provincial bursary named after Mathew Goniwe. The Department seeks to ensure that we are able to address teacher shortages, absenteeism while inspiring students to study teaching as their career of choice”, said Makupula.

Makupula added that the bursary holders will serve back the department by teaching where ever they are deployed in reducing these challenges.  “Quality public education is for all, therefore everyone needs to work together (towards a common goal), consolidating all ideas while seeking to find lasting solution for our children’s education”, concluded Makupula.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) in collaboration with The Banking Association South Africa, hosted their first ever, District Financial Literacy Spelling Bee Competition, at the Education Leadership Institute in East London on the 10 November 2017, where 15 schools from the East London District participated.

The diagnosis of the ECDoE 2014 ANA and the 2015/16 End-of-Year Provincial results, indicated that learners are still not performing satisfactorily in basic literacy skills, especially in reading and comprehension.  To support learners to improve their proficiency, the GET Curriculum directorate is piloting the first District Financial Literacy Spelling Bee Competition for Grade 7 learners in the BCM Education District.

Mvelenhle Yaka, Manager of Financial Education at The Banking Association South Africa, welcomed and thanked the learners for practicing so hard for the competition, Yaka went on further to say’ “We are here to demonstrate your excellence.” Yaka concluded by saying: “We are hoping to roll out this program to all the Education Districts in the near future.”

With round one underway each learner got a different financial related word to spell e.g. affirmative, accounting, repayment, usury, volatile, reputation, custodian etc. The first round was nerve wracking and saw 6 learners being eliminated and 24 learners moved on to round 2.

Round 3 took a turn, where learners now either got a word or a phrase, which they had to not only spell, but also give the definition. This round saw a total of 7 learners being eliminated. In round 4, the remaining contestants each got the same word, “Administration”, where they had to correctly spell the word and give the definition of the word, most learners spelt the word correctly but could not identify the meaning of the word.

With a nail biting 8 rounds, position one, two and three were correctly identified, and announced as follows:

1. Lona Dunga from Aquavista Primary School
2. Vuyolwethu Madlebe Aquavista Primary School
3. Lisakhanya Mzimgayi Cambridge Primary school

Lindelwa Damane, coordinator for the program, from the Provincial Office in Zwelitsha, ended off the occasion by saying, “I am blown away by this event today.” Damane said, “I would like to give my sincere gratitude to each and every person that was involved and truly committed themselves in making this event a success today.” She concluded by saying, “This event would not have been a success without your 100% support.”  Most importantly she thanked the VIP’s of the day, which were the learners for the achievement they have made this far and was so proud that they participated in the first Competition of its kind in the Eastern Cape.

On the 2^nd November 2017, the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE), welcomed 496 professional educators for Grade R into the system in Mthatha at the OR Tambo District Municipality.

With 496 grandaunts, all gathered with their families and friends, SANTS, which is a Private Higher Education Institution, hosted a graduation ceremony, where grandaunts became graduates and now have an official Diploma in Grade R Teaching, first ever in the whole of South Africa.

Professor Jean Baxen, Executive Academic Director of SANTS congratulated the class of 2017.  “You have reached significant milestone in your academic and personal journey as a qualified teacher. You have indeed chosen a noble career; filled with opportunities and possibilities to shape young minds and make a qualitative difference through what and how you teach.”

With the ECDoE facing a problem in terms of the age of teachers that are working in the system, the ECDoE has been taking extreme measures to correct this now before crisis hits, hence the 496 bursaries awarded three years ago, a further 288 were awarded to students living in and around the East London area.

In conclusion Baxen said, “With the preparation you have had, dare to be the teacher who continues to grow and expand your knowledge not only about your subject but importantly, about the world around you and beyond.  Dare to be the teacher who innovates, inspires; one unafraid to be vulnerable and make mistakes in the quest for excellence.  Dare to be the teacher who continues to try new things; reflecting on self and work to advance the education project.  Show empathy and be sympathetic to the plight of others; be it child, parent or colleague.  Stop at nothing to be the kind of teacher the programme has prepared you to be!  Congratulations again and best wishes as you sow and soar into the future of South Africa.”

Sibusisiwe Tachie, Deputy Chief Education Specialist (DCES) for ECDoE Early Childhood Development welcomed the graduates into the system saying, “This is the day we have been waiting for three years, it has been full of challenges, but we feel so blessed that the day has come.”  Tachie highlighted that being a teacher is the mother of all professionals, “Without a teacher there would be no lawyers, no doctors no nurses no nothing.”  Tachie concluded by saying, “Manage yourself, manage your class, do not wait for the HOD or your principal to do your job, you are equipped with the content knowledge, just know whatever you do, will either make or break your learners.”