What is a Teaching?
Teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and intervening so that they learn particular things, and go beyond the given.
Where Can I Study Teaching In South Africa
Unisa
The University of South Africa, or what we all call Unisa offers Teaching qualifications to study through their open distance learning method, which is a combination of online and self-study. If you’re thinking of studying teaching at Unisa, you are then going to be opened to a world of possibilities.
Unisa offers a wide range of Teaching courses ranging from Higher Certificates to Postgraduate courses.
University of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) offers teaching as part of the Faculty of Education as well as their Faculty of Arts.
Through their Faculty of Education, you can get a Bachelor of Education which will take you four years to complete. Through the Faculty of Arts, you will get a normal Bachelor of Arts degree and following that, you would need to do a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) to be qualified to teach.
University of the Witwatersrand
Wits, or as it’s formally known, the University of the Witwatersrand has a School of Education where you can study towards the following qualifications: Bachelor of Education, Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE), Postgraduate Diploma in Deaf Education (PGDip) and postgraduate Education degrees as well.
From its early years, a feature of tuition at Wits is the close integration of formal studies with practical teaching experience. This ensures that teaching theory is always fully informed by classroom praxis.
University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is another place in South Africa where you can study teaching. Their teaching courses are offered through their Faculty of Education.
UJ offers a Bachelor of Education, Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) as well as postgraduate education degrees. They offer Initial Professional Education of Teachers Programmes, Continuous Professional Development of Teachers Programmes as well as Masters and Doctoral Programmes in the Faculty.
Tshwane University of Technology
Another option to study teaching at is Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). They offer the following courses: Bachelor in Education, Advanced Diploma in Technical and Vocational Teaching, Advanced Certificate in Education as well as other postgraduate qualifications.
TUT’s School of Education provides studies in aspects of education that are implicated in the Education, Training, and Development through its four Departments, namely Educational Foundation, with focus on the fundamentals of education, training, and development of theories related to educational studies.
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has its Faculty of Education which offers a four-year Bachelor of Education qualification. They also offer a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education, the Advanced Certificate in Education, and Honours, Master’s and doctoral degrees.
CPUT’s Faculty is said to be the biggest teacher education provider in the Western Cape, with students from all over the country.
How much is it to study teaching in South Africa?
Estimated tuition fees per year (SA and SADC countries citizens)
| Faculty of Education | 1st year | 4th year |
|---|---|---|
| BEd (Intermediate Phase) | 44 000 – 61 000 | 19 000 – 22 000 |
| BEd (Senior Phase) | 47 000 – 60 000 | 14 000 – 24 000 |
| Higher Certificate: Sports | 25 000 | |
| PGCE: FET Teaching | 36 000 – 59 000 |
How long does it take to study teaching in SA?
The Bachelor of Education degree (B Ed) is a four-year, full-time degree that qualifies you to practise as a teacher within South Africa. Upon qualification, your B Ed degree allows you to register as a professional educator with the South African Council for Educators (SACE).
What qualifications do I need to become a teacher in South Africa?
There are two routes to becoming a teacher in South Africa and both are recognised equally. The most direct route is to study for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree.
This is a four-year degree when studying full-time. The other option is to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
Is teaching in high demand in South Africa?
The Centre for Development and Enterprise predicted that South Africa will need to have 456,000 teachers by 2025 to offer quality education.
According to the Department of Basic Education, South Africa’s public education system has 410,000 teachers.
How do I register as a teacher in South Africa?
Registration Procedures
- An educator must apply for registration with the Council by completing the Council’s application form.
- The application must be accompanied by certified proof of the educator’s qualifications, identity document, and the required registration fee.
- The minimum registration entry level for full registration status is a diploma in education at NQF level 6 (Three years post matric qualification)
However, provisional registration is accorded to different sectors as under different conditions as stated below:- ECD educators in possession of NQF level 5 certificate with 120 points are accommodated on a three-year renewable registration status.
- Therapists with a valid HPCSA registration are accommodated as per employer’s recommendation at a school or institution.
- AET educators in possession of NQF level 5 certificate with 120 points are accommodated on a three-year renewable registration if they provide a proof of registration for a diploma.
- Waldorf and Montessori’s educators are accommodated on a three-year renewable registration status
- Skilled persons with N3 plus trade test are accommodated as per recommended by the employer.
- Student educators are accommodated for four years until they graduate
- First-year students who just registered for BEd must bring a letter of recommendation from the employer.
- The current registration fee is R200 (S.A. Educators) and R400 (Foreign Educators) must be included either as original postal order, cheque or payment can be made in cash or using the bank card at the office. Educators not paid through persal must pay the annual levy of R120 on application. Educators paid via persal, their levies are automatically deducted and directly paid to SACE.
- The minimum registration entry level for full registration status is a diploma in education at NQF level 6 (Three years post matric qualification)
- Every applicant for registration must disclose to the Council details of:
- any previous employer disciplinary action or conviction for a criminal offence;
- any pending employer disciplinary proceedings or criminal proceedings against the applicant; and
- any previous disciplinary proceedings against the applicant by the Council.
- The registration committee must consider every application brought by the Chief Executive Officer for registration or provisional registration in the light of the registration criteria and make recommendations on the application to the Council.
- In considering an application, the registration committee may:
- request further information from the applicant;
- conduct any investigation it deems necessary; and
- convene interviews
- lf the Council approves the application, the Chief Executive Officer must:
- register the educator by entering the educator’s name in the register for educators; and
- issue a registration certificate or an acknowledgment of provisional registration to the educator.
- The Council may determine the period of validity of the registration or provisional registration in terms of section 5(a) (v) of the Act.
- If a certificate is destroyed or lost, an educator may apply to the chief executive officer for the issue of a duplicate certificate on payment of a fee as determined from time to time by the Council.
Are South African teachers paid well?
The average teacher salary in South Africa is R 270 000 per year or R 138 per hour. Entry-level positions start at R 179 700 per year, while most experienced workers make up to R 586 329 per year.