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UFS South Campus: Leading in Childhood Education

16 February 2023 | Story Kekeletso Takang | Photo Kekeletso Takang

Leading Education — Leading in Open Distance and E-Learning is Dr Bawinile Mthanti (left), and Programme Director for Childhood Education; Dr Zukiswa Nhase (right).

If you want to make a change, be you. These are the words of Dr Zukiswa Nhase, Programme Director for the Department of Childhood Education and Lecturer in the Faculty of Education. She believes that to make an impact, a leader needs to demonstrate care.

As of 2023, the Department of Childhood Education (DCE) – Foundation Phase – relocated to the South Campus, widening the offering of the campus. The Grade R Diploma in Teaching and the Advanced Certificate in Teaching are flagship undergraduate programmes offered by the Faculty of Education.

Grade R Diploma bridging the gap

The Grade R Diploma in Teaching, an initiative of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), is geared towards equipping and supporting childhood development teachers.

Catering for the Free State context, the qualification accommodates English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, and isiZulu speakers. Teachers are taught by experienced specialists in the field who understand their daily challenges. This is according to Dr Nhase. The DCE has much to offer, being a leader in the country in offering the Grade R diploma, with universities across South Africa benchmarking from the UFS.

The primary purpose of this qualification is to empower teachers with the appropriate skills and knowledge to optimise any teaching-learning situation. Informed by research, the Grade R Diploma in Teaching has been developed to meet specific national skills needs that exist in South Africa’s education system, with specific reference to the Grade R distance education model which provides a customised and practical opportunity for existing teachers to upgrade their knowledge and level of professionalism without having to attend full-time contact classes.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) in South Africa refers to an all-inclusive approach to programmes and policies for children from birth to seven years of age. Formerly with the Department of Social Development, ECD now reports to the Department of Basic Education. This move was to bridge the gap that existed and to unify the teaching professions.

Advanced Certificate in Teaching

Another offering on the South Campus under the stewardship of Dr Bawinile Mthanti, Head of Open Distance and E-Learning (ODEL) in the Faculty of Education, is the Advanced Certificate in Teaching. Previously managed by the UFS and HEPSA, ACT is now solely managed by the UFS. Delivered in two modes, it is aimed at upgrading the qualifications of teachers who are currently employed without adequate training. This programme is an excellent opportunity to provide specialist education to teachers who need to strengthen their subject-specialisation knowledge base.

The Advanced Certificate in Teaching is delivered in the online mode (100% online with no face-to-face contact with the lecturer) and the blended distance-learning mode (some online activity and face-to-face contact with the lecturer). Through this programme, students advance closer to a Bachelor of Education.

With Gauteng province leading the way with the number of registered students, the ACT has had great successes and will only advance when it is offered solely in online mode from 2024. “We are currently in the process of acquiring approval in the UFS structures to offer ACT solely online from 2024,” says Dr Mthanti.

For more information on the programmes and other Faculty of Education offerings, visit our website.

News Archive

Learning to serve, serving to learn

2013-10-18

At the Community Engagement Open Day were, at the back, from the left: Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations; and Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement. In front are, from the left: Selby Lengoabala, Betlehem Unit Manager; Councillor Job Tshabalala, Acting Executive Mayor; and Councillor Isaac Tshabalala, Strategic Manager in the office of the Executive Mayor of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality.
18 October 2013

The university held its first Community Engagement Open Day in order to honour outstanding individuals and highlight programmes that advance its civil responsibility. Hosted by the UFS Community Engagement Directorate, local community members, students and staff gathered in the Callie Human Centre at the Bloemfontein Campus, displaying what they do to empower communities.

Partners in Community Engagement (CE) and Service Learning (SL), local government, community-based research, student volunteer groups, Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and private business interacted with guests at their various information stalls. Faculties and departments displayed their distinctive programmes and demonstrated a renewed commitment to change lives through sharing knowledge, rendering services and fostering empowerment among communities.

In recognition of outstanding service, commitment and excellence in the field of community engagement and service learning, some staff members, researchers and some partners received the Vice-Rector’s Award for Community Engagement. Among them was Prof Matie Hoffman, who was honoured for his longstanding involvement in research at the Boyden Observatory. He is currently at the forefront of renovations for the planetarium at Naval Hill. In the category for external partners, REACH and Heidedal Childcare were awarded for demonstrating commitment towards their partnership with the university. The acting Executive Mayor, Job Tshabalala, also received an award on behalf of Dihlabeng Local Municipality Mayor, Tjhetane Mofokeng, for their involvement in education and social cohesion programmes. During his keynote address, the Director of Community Engagement, Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, emphasised the contribution that community engagement has on the two major strategic programmes of the university, namely the Academic and Human Projects. He pointed out that CE creates a platform on which students learn to appreciate human diversity in a real and unprotected set-up.

The interactions of the Open Day are expected to raise awareness, cultivate understanding among partners, encourage solid alliances and bring to the fore an acknowledgement of community engagement as the integral part of higher education.

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