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19 September 2018 Photo Malia Maranyane
Student Affairs host future UFS leaders during leadership conference
2018/2019 student leaders gather in the EBW Auditorium for the annual Leadership Conference
Newly elected 2018/2019 Kovsie student leaders, comprising the Student Representative Council (SRC), Residence Councils (RC), and Residence Assistants (RA), gathered in the EBW Auditorium for training during the annual Student Leadership Conference. This year’s conference was also privileged to be joined by the South Campus SRC members.

The Director: Student Affairs, Dr WP Wahl, kicked off the programme with a session highlighting the importance of creating value-driven communities. Pulane Malefane, Assistant Director: Residence Life, spoke about student leaders fulfilling their roles and responsibilities as RC and RA representatives.

The Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane, delivered a presentation based on The Role of Student Leadership as Aligned to the Student Affairs Strategic Plan, Pedagogies and Policies. Students also enjoyed an inspirational talk about Lessons in Leadership: What Leadership Taught Me presented by UFS Council member, David Abbey. 

 
The conference concluded with a delightful dinner and networking session for Kovsie’s future leaders.

News Archive

UFS plays leading role in implementing curriculum for deaf learners
2013-08-15

 

Minister Angie Motshekga (front left) joined by members of the South African Sign Language task team. Behind Minister Motshekga’s shoulder is Dr Philemon Akach.
15 August 2013

South African Sign Language (SASL) will soon be offered as a school subject to Grade 0–12 learners in all 42 schools for the deaf in South Africa. Our Department of South African Sign Language had a role to play in this significant development that will empower deaf learners in South Africa and the continent.

Dr Philemon Akach, Head of the Department of South African Sign Language at the UFS, is part of the nine-member task team that recently handed over the SASL curriculum to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. The curriculum will be offered as a home language in all schools from 2014 and Grade 12 learners will be able to write it as a final-year examination subject.

Dr Akach – a member of the task team since 2009 – helped to coordinate the development of the curriculum.

The implementation of the curriculum means a lot to the Department of South African Sign Language, Dr Akach says. “We have championed the linguistic needs of the deaf community ever since we became the first university to offer SASL as an academic course, not only in South Africa, but also on the continent.”

Dr Akach says most Education students are already taking SASL as subject in his department, equipping them as prospective teachers to make implementation of the curriculum a smooth one. “Given our expertise, we will train teachers in the field and be involved in the setting and moderation of exam papers. The University of the Free State is no doubt a leader in this field.”

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