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25 February 2019 | Story Mamosa Makaya | Photo Charl Devenish
Principles Functions
From left: Mrs Zinette de Wet, Headmistress Eunice High School, Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, and Stefan van Schalkwyk from Eunice High School.
The relationship between the University of the Free State (UFS) and high schools in Bloemfontein and the region remains vital to the successful recruitment and enrolment of high-performing students at the university. 

The office of Student Recruitment Services hosted a breakfast on 20 February 2019 to honour school principals in Bloemfontein and surrounding towns for their continued support of UFS student recruitment programmes at their schools.

Principals, headmasters, teachers and chairpersons of school governing bodies, play an important role in advising and motivating learners to apply at institutions they regard as providers of quality tertiary education, and the UFS has been chosen, time and again, as the institution of choice. 

The UFS Student Recruitment Services office engages in recruitment drives using a three-tiered recruitment model throughout the academic year in the Free State and around the country, working closely with the leadership of high schools schools.

University and schools working together

In his welcoming remarks, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, said the relationship between local high schools and the university was vital in the process of developing the region. By producing high-performing students, schools and the university as partners, drive innovation, transformation and academic excellence. “In order to be innovative, we have to be forward looking, and want to work with you on that. I plan to engage with you one-on-one to strengthen our partnerships further,” Prof Petersen said.

Engaging the leaders

Each year, the university presents school principals with awards for their contribution to student recruitment and enrolment. This year, the platinum award, which is the top award for more than 50 enrolments at UFS, was presented to Brebner High School, C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, Eunice High School, Grey College Secondary School, and Jim Fouché Hoërskool. Other award categories were; gold for 20-49 enrolments, silver for 10-19 enrolments, and diamond for one to nine enrolments, these were presented to 29 schools in Bloemfontein and Excelsior.

The Director: Student Recruitment Services, Nomonde Mbadi, said the value of the relationship with schools and principals was immeasurable, and would continue to be nurtured for years to come. The event is held annually at the UFS, and is a rich platform for renewed engagement into the future.


Principles Function
Principles Function
Principles Function
Principles Function
Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Principles Function
Principles Function
Nomonde Mbadi, Director: Student Recruitment Services
Nomonde Mbadi, Director: Student Recruitment Services
Principles Function
Principles Function

News Archive

Teacher professionalism and status under Commonwealth radar
2010-03-26

 
From the left are: Ms Simone De Cormarmond, Chairperson: Commonwealth Foundation; Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, University of the Free State (UFS); Mr Samuel Isaacs, CEO: SAQA; and Dr Carol Anne Spreen, Lecturer at the University of Maryland, USA).
Photo: Ian van Straaten


International delegates attending the 5th Annual Commonwealth Teacher Research Symposium held at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein this week unanimously agreed that more research still had to be done on issues of recognition, registration and standards affecting teachers and teaching across Commonwealth countries.

This two-day gathering of researchers, officials and representatives of regional international organisations and higher education institutions agreed that issues of teacher migration, the professionalism of teachers, teacher preparation and the use of teaching standards, as well as the comparability and recognition of teacher qualifications should be further researched.

The delegates agreed on the following based on the research and data that were presented and shared with all the participants:

Teacher migration is recognised as an increasing global phenomenon that requires ongoing research in the Commonwealth.
Recognising that inequalities and differences within and across Commonwealth countries exist, and considering that fair and ethical treatment in the international recruitment of teachers is an important cornerstone of the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol.

Teacher training, the recognition of teacher qualifications, the professional registration of teachers and the development of professional teacher standards should be actively encouraged through ongoing pan-Commonwealth research.

An increased acknowledgement of the role of the professionalisation of teachers through an improved understanding of teacher qualifications and standards.
There should be a specific research focus on teacher preparation and the use of teaching standards.

An increased comparability and recognition of teacher qualifications across Commonwealth countries should be actively encouraged.
Advocacy of teachers’ rights, effective protection of the vulnerable teacher, and appropriate strategies should be promoted to uplift the status of teachers and teaching as a profession.

The Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol, amongst other things, aims to balance the rights of teachers to migrate internationally against the need to protect the integrity of national education systems, and to prevent the exploitation of the scarce human resources of poor countries.

Delivering his keynote address at the symposium, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, decried the quality of professional qualifications in South Africa.

“We have become very good at manufacturing outcomes. We actually have become very good at giving an impression of having achieved particular outcomes without having achieved them at all,” he said.
“So what does it mean to talk about outcomes in an unequal country with unequal resources? What does it mean to talk about qualifications when we do not trust the outcomes?”

He suggested that the teaching profession should be subjected to a peer review mechanism and that the practice of setting minimum standards should be dealt away with because it results in minimum outcomes.

Dr Carol Anne Spreen, lecturer at the University of Maryland in the USA, proposed that countries should improve the quality of their own teachers instead of importing teachers from other countries.

The research symposium was organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and hosted by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the UFS.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
26 March 2010

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