U Jo'Burg Training School To Give Teachers Classroom Time

THE University of Johannesburg (UJ) is hoping that its newly launched initiative, partly modelled on institutions in Finland — a leader in educational outcomes — will help improve the training of teachers in SA by closing the gap between theory on campus and practice in the classroom.

Last month UJ launched its Funda UJabule facility, a primary school located on the university’s Soweto campus, that would serve as a form of laboratory for teaching practice.

The teachers’ training school is aimed at bridging the divide between theory and classroom practice, and could be replicated on other campuses.

It is designed to allow far more regular classroom contact for students and is aimed at being "a social laboratory" assisting in research into early childhood development.

This model allows for a more interactive experience for students, providing benefits for both curriculum design and ensuring that prospective teachers’ training has sufficient practical training, says Prof Sarah Gravett, executive dean of the faculty of education at UJ.

The school is an ordinary primary school for pupils, and was established to serve students "in a similar way teaching hospitals are used to train medical practitioners", says Gravett.

Established five years ago, the school has two Grade R classes offering education in either English and isiZulu, or English and Sesotho — notably starting English instruction immediately.

Student teachers have an opportunity to experience the teaching and development of the pupils across four years of primary schooling, offering a window for teachers into childhood development.

About 120 to 150 trainee instructors teach the cohort of 60 pupils, while the students and professors conduct longitudinal research tracking, for example, language development, maths cognition and maths concept development, says Prof Gravett.

There is long-standing concern over the quality of instruction and the output of the basic education system, especially in maths and science. At the same time, there is consensus regarding the importance of early childhood education for developing cognition and social skills and — ultimately — future academic success.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says replies to the party’s parliamentary questions indicated the number of pupils taking maths as a subject at high school is decreasing every year. Between 2012 and 2015, mathematics in matric has decreased by nearly 4 percentage points — from 44.3% in 2012, to 40.8% in 2015 — says DA basic education spokeswoman Annette Lovemore.

However, the Department of Higher Education stresses that subject guidance has improved at schools and that, overall, the number of passes has increased.

"The way to further improving the country’s mathematics and science outcomes … must be achieved through fundamental improvements in the quality of learning and teaching in the earlier grades," the department says in a statement.