Day 7 (concluded) – On to East London

Following our two intense visits at Ubuntu and NMMU, we hopped back in our van for a (somewhat) leisurely three-hour drive about 187 miles northeast to our third city, East London.

We had an impromptu dinner, courtesy of Pick N Pay (a local market), and checked in at our next lodgings, Hathaway House.  

Thus ended our whirlwind day in Port Elizabeth

Day 7 (cont’d) – Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Following our visit to the Ubuntu Centre, we headed south to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). Here, we had the opportunity to discuss the state of higher education in South Africa with staff and students of the Education Department.

Professor Heather Nel, the Senior Director of Strategic Planning at NMMU, explained that there are three types of higher educational institutions in South Africa. Universities offer traditional degrees as well as masters and doctoral degrees. UTs (or Universities of Technology) provide vocational or career-focused undergraduate degrees, with some UTs offering masters and doctorates. Comprehensive universities are schools that have merged universities and UTs and offer traditional as well as vocational degrees. It is interesting to note that South Africa’s largest Comprehensive University, UNISA (the University of South Africa), focuses primarily on distance learning, and serves about 300,000 students!!

Professor Nel covered some of the challenges that face South Africa’s higher educational system. Consistency in instruction and low enrollment in certain majors, including teaching, seem to be key areas of focus. The number of professors in teaching programs is also an area of concern, as the retirement age in South Africa is only 60, which is depleting schools of experienced staff.

After Professor Nel’s presentation, we heard from Professor Patrick Bean, who heads the Bachelors of Ed. Program at NMMU’s George Campus. He covered the path of students from primary and secondary grades into higher education. Professor Bean explained that grade 10 in South African schools showed a huge drop-out rate. This was due to the significant change in how a passing grade was determined. Through grade 9, students were judged to pass by weighing their course work at 75% and their compulsory exams at 25%. In grade 10, however, the ratios were changed, with course work counting for only 25% and compulsory exams now counting 75%. This change in percentages accounts for many failing their grade 10 studies and dropping out. It seems like this would be a huge problem, yet it is one that does not seem to be considered critical by the national Deparment of Education.

Our third presentation came from Ms. Heloise Sathorar, who heads NMMUs’ Certificate in Education program. She spoke to us about the structure of teacher training programs in South Africa. She began by explaining some historical issues with South African education. One of the biggest issues involved how education was splintered under Apartheid. Before 1994, less than 20 years ago, education was managed by race, with separate departments created for black, white, colored and Indian citizens. Now add into this confusion the restriction that ALL instruction after grade 3 was only offered in English and Afrikaans. It didn’t matter if your first language was Xhosa or Zulu or any of the other native languages – schooling was only available in English and Afrikaans after the age of eight! Teacher training programs must therefore make their way through this jumbled educational landscape.

According to Ms. Sathorar, two major teacher programs exist. The first awards a Bachelor in Education to students who complete a four-year program. Segments of teaching and observations are included each year, with a full-year teaching internship in the fourth year. The second program, called the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), is a one-year course of study that requires entering students to already have a Bachelors degree. This program includes a 20-week teaching practicum. Regardless of the program, South Africa is in dire need of teachers. It is one of the least-enrolled majors and one that is vitally needed. These are the people who will prepare South African children for a productive and engaged life in society.

Following these three presentations, the faculty was kind enough to invite seven students from their teacher programs to talk with us. We started by asking about their goals and visions. It was interesting to hear their range of ideas and plans. One student wanted to go back to the township where he came from and give back to his community. Another student spoke about teaching in a less rural setting, as those schools were ‘better equipped and had better resources’. A third student hoped to teach for a few years, then get involved with educational policy at the national level. All of the students seemed excited to get going and begin their lives as teachers. We wished them well and hoped they carried their enthusiasm into whatever educational setting they found themselves in.

After the presentations/discussions, we had lunch on the campus and were joined by the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Denise Zinn. Today was her first day back from a long sabbatical and we were honored to have her join us and give us her opinions on the state of higher education in South Africa.

She spoke about many things (how school fees worked; education during and after Apartheid , etc.), but her real passion came out when she spoke about the Centre for the Community School. This is a new initiative at NMMU that seeks to develop partnerships with parents in the local school community and service providers to create a stronger bond for children in school. It was so amazing to hear this approach of community partnerships coming from NMMU – especially as it was just articulated to us this very morning during our visit to Ubuntu. It was if Dean Zinn was a fly on the wall!  After listening to Dean Zinn speak about the possibilities of this initiative, we agreed to make the Centre a stop on a future South African tour.