WWW.SAOU.CO.ZA OMNIBUS SAOU Naonal Facebook [email protected]012 436 0900 | 086 072 6843 DIE VERANDERING IN ONDERWYS | THE CHANGE IN EDUCATION P2 P 3 Bl 9 P10 HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT SCHOOL? UITGAWE 4 | EDITION 4 Don’t miss out Ek, my kind en huiswerk Wie se huiswerk is dit en wie moet dit doen? Huiswerk wat laataande voltooi moet word? Lang, frustrerende middae saam met jou kind agter die boeke en hoe meer jy dreig, hoe minder word die huiswerk voltooi? Skooltake wat vergete gebly het en nou op die nip- pertjie gedoen moet word? Hoë punte wat gehandhaaf moet word? Jou kind is moedeloos en gefrustreerd met die massa werk wat gedoen moet word en wat hy/sy nie verstaan nie? Die kalf is soms in die put, reken baie ouers. En jy? Het jy al jou kind se huiswerk of skooltake namens hul gedoen? Hoeveel ouers neem die verantwoordelikheid vir hierdie take? Te oordeel aan gesprekke met ouers en onderwysers, is verantwoordelikhede en voltooiing van skooltake en huiswerk, ‘n groeiende probleem. Skole moedig altyd ouerbetrokkenheid aan, maar waar is die skeidslyn tussen ondersteunende hulp en volslae oorname? Wanneer word oorbe- trokkenheid net bloot kullery? Plaas ons nie dalk te veel klem op akademie nie? Almal wil hê hul kinders moet op skool presteer, maar klaarblyklik voel baie ouers vasgevang in hierdie web van selfopgelegde verpligting en raak skuldgevoelens en verwagtinge om te moet help al groter en dikwels, word dit totaal uit verband geruk. Meeste ouers bedoel dit goed en glo dit bevestig hul liefde vir hul kind. Die realiteit is egter dat om take namens jou kind te doen, jou kind nie beter voorberei vir ‘n suksesvolle toekoms nie. Navorsing toon dat ouers wat te veel beheer uitoefen met skoolwerk en dink hulle help hul kinders, die teenoorgestelde impak tot gevolg kan hê. Wanneer ‘n ouer die pen uit die kind se hand vat om die werk namens die kind te doen, neem jy die beheer uit die kind se hand. Kinders verloor intrinsieke motivering, ervaar hul dat hul nie goed genoeg is nie, het swak- ker selfbeheer en vind dit moeilik om tussen reg en verkeerd te onderskei. Leerders verloor belangstelling en word selfs swakker in wat hul doen. Wanneer ‘n ouer alles vir die kind doen, skep jy eintlik ‘n lae selfbeeld, want die boodskap wat jou kind kry is: Ek glo nie jy kan dit self doen nie, dit is waarom ek dit vir jou doen. Ons as ouers moet besef dat dit wat jou kind leer baie belangriker is as die punte wat hy verwerf. Leerders se onvermoë om take te voltooi, is vir die oorgrote meerderheid onderwysers ‘n reuse kopseer. Ouers wat hul kinders se huiswerk/skool- take tuis voltooi, is ‘n nog groter probleem en help nie juis om hierdie lewensvaardigheid te vestig nie. Wanneer ‘n kind ‘n projek voltooi, voel hul trots en dat hul dit verdien het. Ons as ouers besef nie dat onderwysers redelik maklik kan sien wanneer dit nie die kind se eie werk is nie. Kinders mag nie op die kantlyn van hul opvoeding sit en toeskouers van hul eie lewens wees nie. ‘n Mens leer slegs uit foute wat jy maak. Jy beroof nie net jou kind van selfvertroue nie, maar ook van talle waardevolle lewenslesse. In plaas daarvan om jou kind te bou, kraak jy hul selfvertroue verder af, of dat dit nie nodig is om self aanspreeklikheid te aanvaar nie. Kinders moet die gevoel van vervulling ervaar. Daardie gevoel van genoegdoen- ing wanneer jy self iets bereik het of afgehandel het, kan niemand vervang nie. Dit is ‘n belangrike motiveerder en kinders moet dit ervaar en deur- lopend na streef. Baie ouers is onder die indruk dat trots van baie hoë punte of die talle tro- HISTORY Salarisonderhandeling 2018
DIE VERANDERING IN ONDERWYS | THE CHANGE IN EDUCATION
P2 P 3 Bl 9 P10
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT SCHOOL?
UITGAWE 4 | EDITION 4
Don’t miss out
Ek, my kind en huiswerkWie se huiswerk is dit en wie moet dit doen?
Huiswerk wat laataande voltooi moet word? Lang, frustrerende middae saam met jou kind agter die boeke en hoe meer jy dreig, hoe minder word die huiswerk voltooi? Skooltake wat vergete gebly het en nou op die nip-pertjie gedoen moet word? Hoë punte wat gehandhaaf moet word? Jou kind is moedeloos en gefrustreerd met die massa werk wat gedoen moet word en wat hy/sy nie verstaan nie? Die kalf is soms in die put, reken baie ouers. En jy? Het jy al jou kind se huiswerk of skooltake namens hul gedoen? Hoeveel ouers neem die verantwoordelikheid vir hierdie take? Te oordeel aan gesprekke met ouers en onderwysers, is verantwoordelikhede en voltooiing van skooltake en huiswerk, ‘n groeiende probleem.
Skole moedig altyd ouerbetrokkenheid aan, maar waar is die skeidslyn tussen ondersteunende hulp en volslae oorname? Wanneer word oorbe-trokkenheid net bloot kullery? Plaas ons nie dalk te veel klem op akademie nie? Almal wil hê hul kinders moet op skool presteer, maar klaarblyklik voel baie ouers vasgevang in hierdie web van selfopgelegde verpligting en raak skuldgevoelens en verwagtinge om te moet help al groter en dikwels, word dit totaal uit verband geruk. Meeste ouers bedoel dit goed en glo dit bevestig hul liefde vir hul kind. Die realiteit is egter dat om take namens jou kind te doen, jou kind nie beter voorberei vir ‘n suksesvolle toekoms nie.
Navorsing toon dat ouers wat te veel beheer uitoefen met skoolwerk en dink hulle help hul kinders, die teenoorgestelde impak tot gevolg kan hê. Wanneer ‘n ouer die pen uit die kind se hand vat om die werk namens die kind te doen, neem jy die beheer uit die kind se hand. Kinders verloor
intrinsieke motivering, ervaar hul dat hul nie goed genoeg is nie, het swak-ker selfbeheer en vind dit moeilik om tussen reg en verkeerd te onderskei. Leerders verloor belangstelling en word selfs swakker in wat hul doen. Wanneer ‘n ouer alles vir die kind doen, skep jy eintlik ‘n lae selfbeeld, want die boodskap wat jou kind kry is: Ek glo nie jy kan dit self doen nie, dit is waarom ek dit vir jou doen. Ons as ouers moet besef dat dit wat jou kind leer baie belangriker is as die punte wat hy verwerf.
Leerders se onvermoë om take te voltooi, is vir die oorgrote meerderheid onderwysers ‘n reuse kopseer. Ouers wat hul kinders se huiswerk/skool-take tuis voltooi, is ‘n nog groter probleem en help nie juis om hierdie lewensvaardigheid te vestig nie. Wanneer ‘n kind ‘n projek voltooi, voel hul trots en dat hul dit verdien het. Ons as ouers besef nie dat onderwysers redelik maklik kan sien wanneer dit nie die kind se eie werk is nie. Kinders mag nie op die kantlyn van hul opvoeding sit en toeskouers van hul eie lewens wees nie. ‘n Mens leer slegs uit foute wat jy maak. Jy beroof nie net jou kind van selfvertroue nie, maar ook van talle waardevolle lewenslesse. In plaas daarvan om jou kind te bou, kraak jy hul selfvertroue verder af, of dat dit nie nodig is om self aanspreeklikheid te aanvaar nie. Kinders moet die gevoel van vervulling ervaar. Daardie gevoel van genoegdoen-ing wanneer jy self iets bereik het of afgehandel het, kan niemand vervang nie. Dit is ‘n belangrike motiveerder en kinders moet dit ervaar en deur-lopend na streef.
Baie ouers is onder die indruk dat trots van baie hoë punte of die talle tro-
feë en sertifikate kom. Inteendeel, trots kom van hoe hard jy vir iets gewerk het. Trots word ervaar deur klaar te maak en vir jouself te kan sê, ek het dit gedoen! Olimpiese atlete neem nie deel om die medalje te wen nie, hulle doen dit uit passie en ‘n toewyding aan uitnemendheid en om die beste te wees wat hulle kan wees. Die medalje is net ‘n simbool van hul toewyding en harde werk.
Lewenslesse waarvan jy jou kind beroof wanneer jy die werk namens hul doen, is om hulle nie te leer om self hard te werk nie. Elke ouer se plig is om kinders te ondersteun om hul doelwit te bereik, om te kan terugkyk en te sê: Ek het dit self gedoen! Wat leer jou kind in die proses? Probleemoploss-ing, om genoeg vertroue in jouself te hê om probleme self uit te pluis, die besef dat die “everything goes”-mentaliteit nie volhoubaar is nie, dat mens dikwels sterker opstaan na ‘n paar foute as wat jy voor die tyd was.
Wat kan ouers dus doen? Dit maak nie saak watter kant van die draad jy sit nie, dit is nooit te laat om te verander nie. Doen dit ter wille van jou kind. Leer jou kind eerstens om hom-/of haarself, tyd en die ruimte om hulle, te organiseer. Die meeste skole voorsien dagboeke aan leerders – leer jou kind hoe om dit sinvol te gebruik. Kinders mors kosbare tyd wanneer skryfbehoeftes gesoek word, moet bepaal watter van die opdragte eerste gedoen moet word, wat hulle benodig en hoe om hul tyd te bestuur vir die onderskeie aktiwiteite van die verskillende take. Leer jou kind hoe om sy/haar gevoelens te beheer, maar ook hoe om ander se emosies te verstaan en te hanteer. Sommige kinders kan baie bekommernis, vrees en angs ervaar wanneer hul ‘n groot projek moet doen – maar weereens ‘n lewens-vaardigheid wat jy seer sekerlik vir jou kind begeer eendag wanneer hy op sy eie twee voete moet staan.
Hulp en ondersteuning beteken dus nie om beheer te neem en take vir jou kind te doen nie, maar om te ondersteun, sinvolle advies te gee en bereid te wees om te luister wanneer jou raad gevra word. Ondersteuning beteken dat jy na hul idees luister en daaroor uitvra sodat hulle self kan sin maak daarvan. In plaas van om dadelik voorstelle uit te blaker, gebruik sinvolle en gefokusde vrae om die kind na die antwoorde te lei. Die vermoë om probleme te kan verwoord en na antwoorde te soek is hoe ons probleme oplos, dit is wat nodig is om broodnodige denkprosesse te laat intree. Bespreek moontlike oplossings wanneer hulle sukkel, vra leidende vrae en laat jou kind toe om self by die antwoord of oplossing te kom. Hulle is die kontrakteur en jy die konsultant – iemand doen die werk en iemand gee raad. Wanneer jy begin vind dat jy die rol van die direkteur vertolk, het jy waarskynlik die lyn oorgesteek en help jy nie meer nie maar neem jy oor. Dit is ‘n realiteit dat elke kind ‘n ander vlak van ondersteuning vereis. Kinders met ADHD of ander vorms van gestremdhede sal vanselfsprekend meer ondersteuning of selfs hulp benodig. Dit is egter dan belangrik dat die kind alles verder moontlik doen wanneer hy ‘n sekere vaardigheid
bemeester het. Die ware leerproses vind plaas deur die beplanning en voltooiing van die projek. Kinders ken hulself. Hul weet wanneer hul nie hul beste gegee het nie. Hulle ken die ongemak wanneer hul voel dat hul werk nie so goed is soos vorige werk of ander se werk is nie en dit motiveer hulle om volgende keer beter te doen. Werk wat nie hul eie is nie, is ‘n valse oorwinning, en kinders weet dit. En as die punte van die kind se eie werk nie onderskeidingsgehalte reflekteer nie, is dit werklik nie die einde van die wêreld nie. Niemand word tot graadstudies toegelaat of geweier op grond van punte in die laer grade nie.
In terme van tydsbestuur en beplanning van huiswerk: Die volgende teg-nieke kan help om huiswerk en take makliker te maak en almal baie frus-trasie, woede en teleurstelling spaar. Baie leerders baat by ‘n vasgestelde huiswerkskedule. Vir baie is dit net te moeilik om te gaan sit en huiswerk te begin. Moenie oor jou kind se skouer kyk terwyl hy/sy huiswerk doen nie. Jy gaan net gefrustreerd en kwaad raak; terwyl jou kind toenemend hulpeloos voel. Wanneer jou kind sy werk vir jou bring om na te gaan, kyk eerste na al die positiewe punte, moenie dadelik fokus op al die foute nie. Indien ‘n kort takie ‘n ure-lange stryd word, jou kind werklik nie die werk verstaan nie en moedeloosheid en frustrasie negatief inwerk en afbreuk doen aan jou kind se selfvertroue, is dit beter om die kind te stop en vir die juffrou ‘n nota te stuur. Baie handboeke het vrae aan die einde. Lees en gesels oor die vrae voordat jou kind begin lees. Sodoende is dit makliker om belangrike inligting in die hoofstuk te vind. Soos ons almal weet vorm nie-verbale kom-munikasie ‘n groot deel van hoe ons kommunikeer. Sensitiewe kinders tel baie maklik negatiewe boodskappe wat ouers met hul liggaamstaal stuur op en dit kan bykomende stres op die huiswerkproses plaas.
Die verskil tussen ondersteun en oorneem: Beplan saam met jou kind ‘nw skedule. Maak seker jou kind het ‘n stil plek en stil tye om te werk. Neem jou kind na die biblioteek. Leer hom/haar hoe om die nodige boeke te vind. Stap saam terwyl hy/ sy al die nodige boeke vind. Stel sleutelwoorde voor vir rekenaarnavrae en help met die uitdruk daarvan. Die beste manier om jou kind te help is om baie vrae te vra oor die manier waarop jou kind die projek organiseer. Vra oor duidelikheid waar dinge deurmekaar klink. Redigeer jou kind se werk deur taalfoute of sinne wat onduidelik is uit te wys sodat jou kind dit kan regmaak. Vra vrae oor hoe jou kind verkies om die inligting te organiseer en aan te bied. Net soos met alle dinge in die lewe is die sleutelwoord: matigheid, wanneer dit by ouerbetrokkenheid en skoolwerk kom. Die belangrikste reël is: Moet nie iets vir jou kind doen wat hy/sy self kan doen nie! Almal van ons wil net die beste vir ons kinders hê en die meeste maak van elke moontlike opvoedkundige geleentheid. Kom ons laat hulle toe om self huiswerk en skooltake te doen.
Vanaf bl. 1
Adel Jacobs en Marésa Viljoen (Professionele Ontwikkelingsdienste: POD)
Reniël Lodewyk (Provisiale Sekretaris: SAOU Vrystaat) praat tydens ‘n ledevergadering op 20 Februarie.
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The South African Teachers’ Union (SAOU) deplores the fact that the or-ganised profession was not part of the Ministerial History Task Team that handed over its findings to Minister Motshekga on 31 May 2018.
“While the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga expressed her satisfaction with the balanced nature of the report, the country is perfectly aware that the initial directive to interrogate and reshape the existing his-tory syllabus in schools emanated from an ANC Congress decision. And despite the Minister’s distinction between a ‘political ’history and a ‘politi-cally driven’ history the SAOU finds it inexplicable that the representatives of the very people who will have to implement a new history syllabus in the classrooms, The Organised Profession, were not involved in the initial research,” Chris Klopper CEO of the SAOU said.
Klopper went on to say that it was ironic that the subject, Life Orientation, which to date was regarded as central to the education curriculum, and
so basically untouchable, was now being considered for modification in the FET Phase to accommodate History as a compulsory subject . “It makes little sense and begs the question, ‘what has changed to engender this shift in thinking?’”
Despite all assurances that it is not politically motivated, the matter of a new History curriculum in schools has its genesis in a resolution taken by the ruling party and it is to be hoped that when it is finally formulated the new syllabus will not simply become what the Minister, (referring to the Zimbabwian situation), has called a ‘political history’.
The SAOU trusts that the envisaged future consultation process will not be a cosmetic one but honestly take all perspectives into account and indeed shape a fully inclusive future. The SAOU commits itself to participation in such a process in good faith but reserves the right to voice constructive criticism and comment.
New History Syllabus – Reshaping an Inclusive Future?
At this point, Programme Director, I must repeat what I said in 2015 during the first History Roundta-ble: “I must emphasise that we are in no way at-tempting to rewrite History for the benefit of the new ruling elites. This project is not a propaganda exer-cise destined to shore up and buttress support for the oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC. As a principle, we are against the rewriting of History for the sole purpose of achieving short-term political expediency.”In this regard, I must declare that our intentions re-main noble as we believe in the wise words of the Anglo-Irish political theorist and philosopher Edmund Burke who put it succinctly a century ago when he said: “Those who don't know History are destined to repeat it.”All we are doing is to reclaim our history as Africans.
- An excerpt from Angie Motshekga’s speech about the new History syllabus.
The History Ministerial Task Team submitted their report to the Minis-ter of Basic Education on 31 May 2018. The task team started their research on 4 June 2015. The following recommendations were included in the report:1. Introduce History as a compulsory subject in the FET (Grades 10-12) Phase.2. Life Orientation to remain a compulsory subject until Grade 9 (GET Phase).3. At FET Phase, compulsory History to replace Life Orientation as one of the Fundamental subjects.4. At the GET phase, Life Orientation to be maintained as a com-pulsory subject and the content should be strengthened.5. Life Orientation should be phased-out incrementally from the FET curriculum from 2013 (Grade 10) to 2025 (Grade 12).6. The notional time in Grades 10-12 should be increased from 27.5 hours to 29.5 hours per week.7. Compulsory History to be phased in incrementally from 2023 (Grade 10) to 2025 (Grade 12).8. CAPS curriculum has serious limitations and a complete overhaul of CAPS is required. Africa centeredness should become a principle in revising the History content.9. The 6-7 years towards the phasing-out of Life Orientation in the
FET band be used to prepare the system for compulsory History in the FET band.10. The notional time of 4 hours per week for teaching History in the FET band must be maintained.11. History Teacher Development should be strengthened by institu-tionalising the DBE’s Continued Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) programmes.12. Two final year examination papers at Grade 12 with Paper 1 focussing on African History and Paper 2 focussing on History of the wider world including Europe or vice-versa.However, the curriculum adjustment will only be realized after the proposals have been accepted. The SAOU will ensure that they participate in the process.
A SUMMARY: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HISTORY MINISTERIAL TASK TEAM
HISTORY
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The social media age has brought the world together in a way we’ve never seen before. With the touch of a screen or the click of a mouse we can communicate and share information with anyone in the world. With open access to social media and the internet as a whole, everyone now has access to a very public and very permanent platform.While most internet savvy adults understand that the internet is written in ink and not in pencil and that posting the wrong thing via social media can cause irreparable damage to your reputation – there are still so many users that just don’t get it. With so many adults failing to protect them-selves on the internet, how do we expect children to do so without the help of a responsible adult?With the multitude of selfies and numerous pieces of content we create and share, we have all become self-made celebrities and journalists. The problem with that is, in most cases, celebrities have a team of people who assist them with reputation management and communication with the global community and they usually have a large following that will jump to their defence if they act offensively. Likewise, for the role of the journal-ist. Media houses are acutely aware of their responsibility to the communi-ty to share accurate news and always verify their sources. They also know the boundaries that exist in terms of our right to freedom of expression. The ordinary man/woman cannot always say the same.There is no specific law governing the use of social media in South Afri-ca, making it difficult for people to identify the parameters within which they need to operate. However, the laws that exist for any form of public communication can be applied to social media. If you create any type of content and it is seen by one other person, the law will apply. So, wheth-er you say something on a WhatsApp group to 5 people or on Facebook to 500 people or on Twitter to 50 000 people the law will treat this con-tent as if you had published it on the front page of a newspaper.Anonymity is a myth on the internet. You can’t hide behind your computer or cell phone screen forever. You can publish content under a pseudonym, but IT experts have ways of tracking you down using your IP (Internet Protocol) address or they simply track you through your RICA registration or GPS location. An IP address is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identi-fication and location addressing.If you are not willing to stand up and make a statement of whatever nature or share your private details (or those of friends and family) on a global stage, you should not put it in a digital format. Once content is in a digital format, it is completely out of your control. This would apply to private messages sent via social media as well. Even if you have a reasonable expectation of privacy when speaking to a friend, family member or colleague using direct messaging or a one-on-one WhatsApp conversation, the infamous screenshot still exists.Regardless of the storms you can create by pushing the boundaries of freedom of expression on topics of race, religion and politics; uttering your dissatisfaction about your employer could leave you unemployed. If you bring your employer into disrepute and breech the duty of good faith or your conduct has a negative impact on the employment relationship, you can get fired. You have to remember that any legal, ethical and con-tractual obligations that apply to you in real life will apply to your online behaviour.Creating content and posting it on social media yourself is not the only way you could be implicated in a social media blunder. Once people
start redistributing content on the internet, you create a chain of publi-cation. Anyone in the chain of publication of illegal or unconstitutional content can be held responsible.You become part of the chain when you:1. Share / retweet / forward content.2. If you simply like / favourite content.3. Make a comment on the content or like or react to a comment.4. Or when you have been tagged in the content or if someone posts it to your page.
Being tagged in a post is not a direct action that you have taken to further distribute content, but as soon as you have the ability to delete offensive or illegal content (or any content) and you choose not to, you are seen as part of the chain of publication.Some may decide to avoid social media completely and while that is perhaps not such a bad idea, if you are a parent, guardian, tutor, teacher or any other person who is in the position or has the means to educate children about being good digital citizens, you simply cannot afford not knowing what is happening on the internet. If you are disturbed by what you see on social media or feel ‘’square-eyed’’ after a day at the office spent behind a computer, try to imagine the toll on a child’s emotional and developmental well-being. Whether social media means only Facebook and Twitter to you or you are able to list the dozens of Apps that constitute as social media, the principles in managing these internet giants are the same. When opening a personal account, always make sure you work through the privacy settings on any social media App you may use. Everyone has a right to privacy, don’t violate your own. Peruse the user guidelines on the App for help or phone a friend. Use the simple THINK method before posting or sharing something on social media:T – is it True?H – is it Helpful?I – is it Inspiring?N – is it Necessary?K – is it Kind?Always verify the source and information before sharing or retweeting a post. There is far too much fake news doing the rounds daily, don’t be part of the mob.If you run a school page, turn on the “review post” setting. This will allow you to control what is posted on the page and you will avoid getting into trouble for something an angry parent or learner may post. Make sure that your school has an internet and social media policy. Discuss the pol-icy with all staff and parents and make sure that the learners fully under-stand their rights and responsibilities.Learners’ rights and responsibilities in terms of the internet and social media go beyond protecting their privacy and reputation by assisting in combating cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is one of the leading causes of depression in our modern times and should be reported to not only the school and parents, but to the authorities as well. The victims of cyberbul-lying can apply for a protection order in terms of the Protection from Ha-rassment Act, 2011 (Act 17 of 2011) at their nearest Magistrate’s Court.It is almost impossible to ignore the internet and social media and the effect that it has on society. Keep yourself up to date with new innovations and be the voice of digital responsibility. And finally, don’t forget to turn the screens of every now and then and tell the children to go play…out-side. - Rose-Anne Lyon (Marketing and Communication)
The Internet has no hiding place
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The mere fact that their once-little-toddler will have to go to ‘big school’ is for many parents just one too many in the trauma stakes. Add the, “I’m just not sure I am making the right choice. What if s/he’s not happy with the choice I have made...”, and you have a winning recipe for hours of restless insomnia. Advertisements and notices currently wave energetically from lamp posts with every slogan claiming to have the winning secret ingredient for your child’s totally successful future. How do you make the correct choice? What qualities should parents be looking for? How do you find the ‘perfect- fit’ school for your child? The greatest favour a parent can do themselves is to remember that chil-dren (together with their needs and interests), differ. The English slogan, horses for courses is particularly apt in this context and would do well as a fridge magnet. The appropriate location of the nearest school and the friends that go to that specific school are not necessarily the criteria that will provide the ‘aha-moment‘. Subject choices and fields of study offered by a school, together with your child’s interests and considered profes-sion, all weigh heavily in the process of choosing the right school. But, apart from the obvious influence of subjects, hostels and transport there are a number of other considerations that you need to think about and which will shed light on which school you should choose. Do the values of the school correspond with those cherished by you as a family? Can you live comfortably with the ethos of the school and the way it is managed? This is not information that you can glean from the plac-ard on a lamp post. A visit to the school to make the acquaintance of the principal or staff or even other parents is the only thorough way to get the kind of information you require. Do yourself a favour and do your home-work properly. Parents are often amazed at how much information can be gathered from a school visit. Some schools have a strong academic focus while others have exceptional achievement on sporting and cultural aspects; others again, have an unswerving traditional ethos and at such institutions your child will have to be able to fit in with the existing culture of the school. Clearly, you will need to take your child’s talents and interests into ac-count. But, ask yourself the question, “What are the qualities that I would like to see in my child when s/he leaves school – 10 distinctions; provin-cial colours in sport?” Or would you prefer your child to have a thorough grounding in those qualities/abilities/skills that will stand them in good stead in their chosen career? Emotional and social skills like respect, tol-erance, perseverance, the ability to organize oneself and one’s environ-ment, time management and how to meet deadlines, the ability to adapt, a sense of responsibility and accountability, what it really means to be human and have empathy for others, are no longer necessarily what all schools focus on. Ultimately, your child is going to have to be able to fit into a multicultural work environment – to what extent and in what manner will your child be prepared for this reality? What is the school’s policy regarding culture sensitivity, language of instruction and code of conduct? How important are these criteria for you as a family? Ask for the code of conduct. A thorough study of the code of conduct is not to determine if the school has a punitive disciplinary system, but rather give a specific indication regarding the handling of racism, tolerance towards others, respect, religious practice, bullying, social media harassment, time management etc. The sanctions for violations in accordance with the code of conduct are just as important; do we punish for the sake of punishment or to seek healing and remedial action. It is in this area that the hidden curriculum of the school will be highlighted because it is the careful management of these elements that certainly adds long-term value to guide each child to balanced adults.Many schools boast with the latest technology in the classrooms and use it as bait. The sickening truth is that bad teaching + technology = expensive bad teaching. Technology is no guarantee of quality teaching. Technology is an exceptional aid that speaks directly to today’s youth but it is often over estimated as a teaching/learning aid. NO tablet or Interactive White Board, computer programme or App can replace the human factor, the so-called ‘X-factor’ that a good teacher brings to your child’s education. A teacher who is involved in your child’s education, who really cares, who can ‘connect’ with your child and create a sense of security and learning atmosphere in the classroom is the single factor that will prevent the teacher from ever disappearing completely from the classrooms of the future. No money in the world can ever buy a teacher who genuinely cares for his or her learners. Nor can they be replaced by
technology. The year-by-year building blocks of the curriculum must be in place which simply means that every teacher must do what they have to do to ensure that your child has the knowledge and skills on which to build the next phase. Class sizes and a structured, safe school environment is thus im-portant to you especially in the primary school environment. Ask yourself the question, “Can successful teaching and learning really take place in classes of 40+ learners?” What does the school do to make learners feel safe? It is important to know if support services like therapists and psychologists are part of the personnel and if an inclusive approach to education is followed in the school. Further questions like how regularly, and in what way does the school communicate with parents also need to be asked. Visit the school’s website or their presence on social media and inform yourself of what is being communicated. To what extent does the school encourage or allow parent involvement or is the school an exclusive and unapproachable island for those in authority? It is therefore essential that you ask the right questions.If you are really serious about the choice of school for your child it is a good idea to attend the next sports day or sports match that takes place at the school. Sportsmanship reveals a great deal about the attitudes of both the learners and the coaches. Chat with the principal - his or her philosophy about education, discipline and thoughts on the positive and negative aspects of the school will provide clear insights regarding the school’s future coordinates. Where possible, engage with other parents and learners. Something that currently tends to be underplayed in the schooling environment is the manner in which learners communicate with visitors. Question: Are the learners ambassadors for the school? Basic good manners and learners who greet all visitors politely have become a rare phenomenon. Learners who aimlessly wander around the school or classes that are loudly kicking up a rumpus will tell you more about the discipline of the school than the glossy, colourful prospectus that is ea-gerly placed in your hand on ‘Open Day.’ The moment you step onto the school premises you, as a parent will know if the school and your family share the same approach to neatness, maintenance and safety. Many parents are dazzled by spectacular sports fields but rubbish that is blown around the school grounds by every gust of wind speaks volumes about priorities and the values that are inculcated in the learners.Your child’s school career lasts for 13 years: Grade R – Grade 12. For some parents they are 13 years of constant up-hill battles; for some chil-dren, a 13-year nightmare. Remember- life is all about choices. Make the choice to find the right school for your child. And finally: If you want to know if your child is going to be happy at the new school look closely at the faces of the other children. The successful school, where children are happy, is measured by the breadth of the children’s smiles – that’s the perfect fit for your child. - Marésa Viljoen and Adel Jacobs (Professional Development Services: PDS)
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT SCHOOL?
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DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS A NOVICE TEACHER OR WANTS TO STUDY TEACHING?
VISIT THE SAOU WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE ‘‘YOUR TEACHING CAREER’’ PORTAL FOR HELPFUL INFORMATION ON EDUCATION DEGREES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR THE PROFESSION.
www.saou.co.za
Novice teachers at a training session in Tzaneen, Limpopo.
SAOU LIMPOPO KEEPING BEGINNERS INFORMED
NUUT AANGESTELDE HOOFDE KRY RAAD
Nuut aangestelde hoofde en adjunkhoofde tydens ‘n opleidingsessie in Limpopo.
The Minister for the Public Service and Ad-ministration has in terms of section 3(5)(a} and 5(6)(b) respectively of the Public Ser-vice Act, 1994, as amended, determined that the employer subsidy for employees on the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) be adjusted as depicted with effect from 01 January 2018.
GEMS SUBSIDY
Student and Novice teachers attended a training session in March in Middelbeurg
SAOU MPUMALANGA’S NOVICE TEACHERS
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SAOU WESTERN CAPE TALKS MONEY
Members at a SAOU seminar on financial management.
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SAOU KZN BESOEK FORT MISTAKE EN TOTI
Lede by KZN se opleding sessie op Fort Mistake.Innes Kritzinger (KZN: Provinsiale Sekretaris gesels met lede by KZN se opleding.
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Following the SAOU's successful introduction to the Hilton College Annual English Conference in 2017, the Union was once again invited to participate in this prestigious event on 11 may 2018. Prof Mol-ly Brown, Head of the Department of English at the University of Pretoria, and Ted Townsend, Profes-sional Advisor: Private Schools (SAOU) delivered an academic paper and a pedagogy workshop, respectively. Prof. Brown's thought-provoking lec-ture on "Reading the Hidden Curriculum" - originally delivered at an international conference in Germany earlier in the year, provided the perfect springboard for Ted Townsend's vigorously interactive workshop on "Exploring the Needs of the Contemporary Class-room". Both presentation were well-received.The Conference was attended by almost all the Indepen-dent Schools in the province and many beyond and the SAOU was able to actively network and promote its outreach to the Independent Schools sector under the mantra, "Nurturing a Unique Professionalism".
Die Resolusie met betrekking tot salarisonderhandelinge met die Staat as werkgewer is op Vrydag 8 Junie 2018 geteken nadat dit deur die meer-derheid van Unies (66%) aanvaar is. Datum van implementering: Die algemene salarisverhoging geld met ingang van 1 April 2018, maar agv die sluiting van skole sal dit moeilik
wees om die verhoogde salaris aan die einde van Junie 2018 te kan betaal. Daar word hard agter die skermsgewerk om ‘n supplementêre lopie op PERSAL te bewerkstellig ten einde die verhoogde gedeelte vir April tot Junie gedurende Julie te kan betaal. Verdere inligting in die verband sal later voorsien word.
SALARISONDERHANDELINGE 2018 - Resolusie geteken -
Kliek hier om die resolusie (Salarisonderhandelinge 2018) te besigtig.
Click here to view the resolution (Salary negotiations 2018).
Wat kan ek verwag? | What can I expect?
Johanna Venter en Pauline Cocklin (SAOU Vry- staat personeel) tydens ‘n lede vergadering op 13 Maart.
SAOU lede by Oos-Kaap se leiersberaad.
Debbie Harvey (OK: Provinsiale Sekretaris) gesels met ‘n SAOU-lid tydens die beraad.
Click here to view other amazing training opportunities! Remember you can attend any session, anywhere.
Kliek hier om ander fantastiese opleidingsgeleenthede te besigtig! Onthou: Jy kan enige geleentheid op enige plek bywoon.
Die SAOU KONNEKT program het oor al nege provinsies tussen Febru-arie en Mei plaasgevind. Hierdie program het op verhoudings gefokus. Die verhouding tussen die onderwyser en leerder, tussen kollegas en die verhoudings tussen die onderwyser en die ouers van hul leerders. Sonder
goeie verstand houdings in al drie gevalle kan onderwys nie so suksesvol wees soos wat dit hoort nie. Die SAOU se Professionele Ontwikkelings-dienste (POD) saam met SAOU se regsdienste het by die geleenthede opgetree.
KONNEKT MET SAOU
Stephan van den Berg (Regsadviseur: SAOU Regsdienste) en Marésa Viljoen (Professionele Ontwikkelingsdienste: POD) op 12 Februarie. Hulle maak gereed om by Voorpos Primary School, Oos-Londen op te tree.
Marietjie le Roux (Professionele Ontwikkelingsdienste: POD) praat tydens die Konnekt byeenkoms op14 Febru-arie te Framesby High School, Port Elizabeth.
Onderwysers by die SAOU Konnekt geleentheid op 13 Februarie te Cradock Preparatory School.
Carla Lottering (Provinsiale Sekretaris: Noordwes) saam met onderwysers van Laerskool Protea Park by die NW SAOU Konnekt byeenkoms wat in Maart in Potchefstroom en Rustenburg gehou is.
Onderwysers wat die SAOU Konnekt byeenkoms op Rustenburg bygewoon het.
Karin Potgieter, Adjunkhoof van Bergsig Akademie (Rustenburg) gesels met die bywoners. Sy is ook ‘n lid van SAOU se Provinsiale Uitvoerende Raad (PUR).
Die Vrystaat se SAOU KONNEKT program is in Bloemfontein, Kroonstad en Bethlehem aangebied.
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Onderwysers by Mpumalanga se SAOU KONNEKT geleentheid. Dié byeenkoms is in Middelburg en Nelspruit aangebied.
Onderwysers by Mpumalanga se SAOU KONNEKT geleentheid.
Marésa Viljoen (Professionele Ontwikkelingsdiens: POD) gesels met onderwysers by Noord-Kaap se SAOU KONNEKT byeenkoms wat by Laerskool Eureka, Kimberley gehou is.
Het jy vrae oor jou diensvoorwaardes, pensioen, behuising
of medies? Bel vandag nog
SAOU se Inbelsen-trum!
086 072 6843
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Onderwysers van Montanus Primary School by die Gauteng SAOU KONNEKT byeenkoms te Hoërskool Germiston. Onderwysers van Voorbrand Primary School.
Onderwysers by die Gauteng SAOU KONNEKT byeenkoms.
The first 6 months of 2018 are coming to a close, giving the SAOU an ideal opportunity to take a step back, take stock and determine whether an adjustment in service delivery is needed. The SAOU's core business is the professional development and support of members. It often includes negotiations for bread and butter matters, salary audits and pension queries. The SAOU is the go-to Union for matters of urgency. The SAOU's vision for professional development and support means that we as a Union would like to walk the extra mile for educators.The SAOU's Professional Development Service (PDS) has empow-ered 5 478 educators during 56 training opportunities nation-wide from January to June. In the writing of 6 education-related media articles published in the Beeld, we attempted to sensitise the general public and, more specifically, parents regarding aspects that affect educators daily. The Professional Development Service consists of a team of 7: Rose-Anne Lyon (Communication and Marketing), Ted Townsend (Independent Schools and Media), Johann Güldenpfennig (Focus Area: Grades 10-12), Adel Jacobs (Focus Area: Grades 4-9), Marésa Viljoen (Focus Area: Grade R-3), Marietjie le Roux (Focus Area: Inclusive Education) and Liezl Henrich (Administration). PDS empowers teachers through train-ing, manage curriculum-related and professional inquiries and serve on various committees in departmental structures, where we collect as much information as possible and deal with gaps / issues at the Department of Basic Education. PDS is currently in the planning phase for the training programme for 2019. We try to be proactive and relevant in our education and train-
ing and would like to hear from educators who are in classroom. Should you have any specific training requests that you would like to bring to our attention, please contact us!Finally, the SAOU wishes to thank every educator who walked the extra mile with us and who sacrificed their afternoon to attend training. We trust each of you returned to the classroom with re-newed passion and enthusiasm. We hope that everyone gets the opportunity to make a difference in education in the second half of 2018.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (PDS) OF THE SAOU
Front: Adel Jacobs and Rose-Anne Lyon. Middle: Marésa Viljoen, Liezl Henrich, Ted Townsend. Back: Marietjie Le Roux and Johann Güldenpfennig
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Lourenca Jansen Van Vuuren, ‘n onderwy-ser by Laerskool Barberton en SAOU-lid het tydens die Nasionale Ondwerwystoeken-nings ‘n tweede plek vir Uitnemendheid in Laerskool Onderrig behaal. Baie geluk! Die SAOU is trots om lede soos Lourenca te kan dien.
SAOU se Professionele Ontwikkelingsdiens het in die eerste kwarta-al die Universiteit van Noordwes (NWU) asook die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) gaan besoek om met finale jaar onderwysstudente te
praat oor wat om te verwag as hulle volgende jaar die onderwys werklik betree.
POD besoek universiteite
Rose-Anne Lyon en Adel Jacobs saam met Franklin Lewis een van die onderwysdosente by UP.
Onderwysstudente by UP.
Rose-Anne Lyon en Adel Jacobs saam met Lize Crafford (Dosent: NWU) en van haar onderwysstudente.
