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ICTC EDC Educators’ Development
Centre
Background Since 1995 the Eastern Cape Department of Education was charged not only with the normal public responsibility of delivering education services to the citizens in the Province but also with the enormous task of reconstructing an education system
that is consistent with the values espoused in the new Constitution and at the same time be compliant with Education Policy directives of a new Government in a new political dispensation. . In spite of successes, the Department is still faced with enormous challenges, viz.
VIZ: PEOPLE CANNOT BE DEVELOPED THEY CAN ONLY DEVELOP THEMSELVES. Development brings freedom, provided it is development of people. But people cannot be developed; they can only develop themselves.
For while it is possible for an outsider to builds a persons house, an outsider cannot give the person pride and self-confidence in themselves as human beings. Those things people have to create in themselves by their own actions. People develop themselves by what they do; they develop themselves by making their own decisions by increasing their own knowledge and ability and by their own full participation. (Julius K. Nyerere)
If they do not want to be developed then no one will be able to do it for them or be able to force them to do it. An outsider cannot tell the person how to live and love inside the house. THE TEACHER IS THE TOOL THE LEARNER THE GOAL. The approach should be problem – centered with the emphasis on diagnosing and studying problems with the solution to be found by teachers themselves supported and assisted as necessary by officials and agencies.
The EDC (Educators’ development Center) therefore will have to devise way and means to get the educators to want to participate freely knowing that all the activities organized by the EDC is to his/her own benefit and will improve their teaching ability in the classroom.
The educator must also come to the realization that participation in EDC activities will also make teaching easier for them.
Teachers must willingly want to increase their own knowledge and skills through full participation with, to and through each other and in partnership with and assistance of the curriculum subject advisory service of DOE, Universities, colleges and NGO’s.
The success in attracting teachers who will be coming mainly in their own time (After school hours) to take part in a wide spectrum of activities must be an indicator that the EDC’s are filling a previously existing vacuum. It is also and indicators of a real need on the part of the classroom practitioner for relevant help in his/her work.
Everything that is planned and done in this directorate must be weighed against the value it will have for the learner.
A PLACE AND A CONCEPT The EDC should be both a place and a concept, a place where skills are improved and innovations shared, and a concept of professional growth which values the integrity of each teachers work
It can then respond to the needs of teachers and Managers and enhance their professional growth in a positive and constructive way. (C. Levine and R. Horowitz 1976) Special attention should be paid to maintaining an informal atmosphere, encouraging free interaction among participants and building self-confidence as well as knowledge
EDUCATION NOT TRAINING
Particularly in the very process of in-service education as they also have a contribution to make.
lEducators, and Managers have to be inspired to transform themselves.
The EDC should strive to ensure that education and training serve the cause of redress and equity through:
Capacity building and empowering of teachers and Managers.
lInvolvement of all role players, especially the teachers and managers themselves.
The promotion of positive culture of managing, teaching and learning through the implementation of a change process which includes education on a continuous basis.
The following are some of the activities that could and would eventually be organized and presented by the EDC
Informal Upgrade to teachers
Media; School and classroom Management; Teaching skills and Techniques
Micro teaching
Learning Area development through establishing Learning Area groups.
Parental involvement.
Classroom administration
OBE literacy
Library orientation; media workshops
Computers
Specialized course/seminars
Motivation seminars; Self-management;
Farm school development;
Small business development
Teacher Skills Development
Learning Area study group workshops; Subject advisory training;
Classroom skills
Management Development
Principal/HOD Workshops/study groups;
Staff development
Courses for parents /community members
Parental involvement
Curriculum Development
Learning Area Study Groups
Other courses/gatherings
Estate and will planning;
Relations improvement;
Music/Choir;
Pupils skills development.
S/CGB (School/Center Governing Bodies) (training)
RCL Empowerment
Training principals (Smt) of the district with low pass rate.
Training of tutors
Generic training
OBE training
Electives training
Formal upgrade through Dept of sport, Universities and Technicons and
Colleges.Making and producing teaching media (Media production room)
Home management and fashion design
Information technology program
The use of the computers is here to stay, therefore it becomes imperative that our
communities are bound to have Basic Computer Skills;
An Internet Cafe’ will also be established and available to all educators.
In the light of the above highlighted challenges, The EDC sees as its responsibility to ensure that such challenges are attended to by engaging itself in both educator and management staff development. By so doing the EDC will be responding to the challenges of educator, learner, other Government departments and community development.
Sterkspruit is characterized by high rate of unemployment, therefore, the District Office through the District EDC wishes to alleviate this problem The mission the EDC will be to develop Professional, competent, confident, critical, productive and reflective educators and managers.
To develop a world class, quality INSET system which will be monitored and evaluated and adopted by both educators and District management as an on-going process; To engage also the ABET (Adult basic education and training) section in terms of skills development in the District as well as community members to encourage them to move away from dependency, to self-sufficiency/reliance.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATORS The EDC acknowledges that educators are the keys to improve the quality of education. In order to achieve this it is worthwhile to engage educators in an on-going process of professional development;
lThus Professional Development of Educators as defined in the ANC Policy Framework(15:1995) is:
“process of education combined with experience through which educators are enabled to inquire into and reflect on their a work and roles, deepen their specialized knowledge, improve their effectiveness as facilitators of students learning and prepare themselves for greater responsibility and leadership.”
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