cape peninsula university of technology teaching
Education
The Faculty of Education is located on the Mowbray and Wellington campuses of CPUT. Our core business is teacher education, with the bulk of our students in initial or pre-service teacher education, through the four-year Bachelor of Education. The rest of our academic offerings address educator development needs at pre-service and in-service level, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, through the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (for those who want to join the teaching profession after acquiring a degree other than education); and for those already with qualifications and experience in the Education field, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, the Advanced Certificate in Education, and Honours, Master’s and doctoral degrees.
Our Faculty is the biggest teacher education provider in the Western Cape, with students from all over the country. At the Mowbray campus instruction is offered in English, while at the Wellington campus the undergraduate programme is offered in Afrikaans.
As educators, we pride ourselves for belonging to what is known as a noble profession – a service-oriented profession. We acknowledge the responsibility we have to influence the future through the young people we train and develop, and the even younger people they will train and develop. We are also aware of the challenges that face the education sector in our country, from inadequate teaching spaces, limited access to education, under-qualified educators and education managers, absence of commitment and professionalism in some sectors of our profession, and a generally underperforming education system. We look at these challenges as our challenges, and believe that with our dedicated staff, relevant academic offerings, and the necessary support we get from our university, the Western Cape Education Department and the national Department of Higher Education and Training, our contribution in this regard is making a difference, not just to this Province but to the nation. We thus invite those who share in this vision, and want to be part of this contribution, to register with us for one of the many options in educator development.
The Faculty of Education is divided into three academic departments:
- General Education and Training
- Further Education and Training
- Teacher Professional Development
The Faculty also has a strong research component that is supported by the Department of Research and Postgraduate Studies.
General Education and Training (GET)
The Faculty of Education and Social Sciences prepares teachers for the ever-changing world in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools. The B.Ed. Foundation Phase programme and the B.Ed. Intermediate and Senior Phases programmes are located within the Department General Education and Training (GET), at the Mowbray and Wellington campuses. With a history of over 100 years of preparing pre-service students for the professional world of Education a number of innovations and best practices are included in the programmes:
- the internal coherence of the programme;
- good communication with students;
- experienced members of staff;
- staff with subject and phase expertise;
- the offering of all three regional languages;
- the extensive and well-monitored Teaching Practice programme;
- extensive attention to Inclusive Education;
- monitoring of student progress, and
- a high throughput rate.
The Faculty of Education has built its reputation on the balance we are able to maintain between an academic and a practical approach. The purpose of the programme is modelled on real-life situations with which the student will be confronted when starting his/her teaching career. We are well known for the competitive advantage our students enjoy when they step into the world of Education.
Students make use of an open-door policy offered by lecturers, the programme coordinators and the head of the department or assistant dean. This approach is considered one of the strong points in the training situation.
The programmes are presented in English on the Mowbray Campus in Cape Town where students can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the urban atmosphere and a vibrant student life.
The programmes are presented in Afrikaans at the Wellington Campus in the Boland where students can enjoy the peaceful rural atmosphere and a safe student life.
Further Education and Training (FET)
We offer a wide range of Business, Commerce, and Management courses (including Computer Applications Technology, Mathematics, and Mathematical Literacy) for student teachers in the FET band plus EMS and Mathematics for the Senior phase of the GET band at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Student teachers receive individual attention and support. We are known to produce very productive teachers who enhance the image of CPUT. The educators in the Department of FET are highly qualified with a wide repertoire of expertise.
Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE: FET) programme is a professional level 6 qualification for FET Teachers (Schools & Colleges). This qualification is also housed in the FET department and it provides professional status to teachers/ learners who do not have a teaching qualification.
Teacher Professional Development
The Department of Teacher Professional Development primarily focuses on the continuing professional development of in-service educators. The Advanced certificate in Education (ACE – 4th year qualification) is aimed at GET and FET teachers who wish to upgrade their current qualification or divert to a new teaching area. The National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE: FET) Programme is a professional qualification for FET college lecturers and the Higher Diploma in Higher Education and Training qualification (HDHET) also provides a professional status to academic staff in Higher Education Institutions who did not have a teaching qualification. The B.Ed (FET) qualification specializing in vocational education is a new programme which is offered in the TPD Department.
All courses are run on a part-time basis – alternate weekends, some weekdays and some school holidays.
Short courses, Outreach and Community Engagement are also housed in this Department.