The programmes help teachers develop new approaches to teaching Intermediate Phase Mathematics and using digital mobile learning in their classrooms.

For UFS, the initiative also provides an opportunity to connect the University’s expertise in teacher education with the needs of schools in the province.

Speaking at the opening of the initiative, Dr Lambert Makhalemele, Faculty Manager in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Education at UFS, said, “Teaching professionals are being equipped through this developmental initiative and, in turn, it benefits one of the faculty’s main goals, which is to develop graduates for the modern world.”

The focus on teachers is significant because the training does not end with the individual educators taking part. The immediate focus is on the 580 teachers taking part; the intended longer-term effect is in the classrooms and schools where they put their learning into practice.

“Teachers need to distinguish themselves through their passion in their work of enlightening learners for the future of the country,” said Prof Loyiso Jita, Dean of the Faculty of Education, who also acknowledged the teachers participating in the programmes for continuing to develop their professional skills.

With teachers drawn from all five Free State districts, the initiative has a province-wide reach. Its longer-term value will depend on how the knowledge and approaches gained through the SLPs are applied in participating schools.

The partnership also places the UFS Faculty of Education in a direct relationship with the province’s education system. Rather than limiting teacher development to the University environment, the initiative connects UFS expertise with practising teachers and the classrooms in which they work.