Teachers honoured for excellence
Mahlatsi Mgidi
25 October 2004
Twenty-nine dedicated and inspiring teachers were honoured for excellence by the Minister of Education Naledi Pandor at the fifth National Teaching Awards in Pretoria on Friday.
The awards are one of the ways in which the department of education acknowledges and encourages dedicated teachers in their efforts to develop young people as better South Africans.
Pandor said the awards played a significant role in re-evaluating and celebrating the important role played by teachers in the country.
"Tonight we recognise the outstanding contribution teachers make towards the development of our country. It is because of their dedicated and committed efforts that we have been able to achieve many of our national goals," she said.
She added that her department would support teachers in expanding access to skills and knowledge as well as strengthening evaluation resources for interventions to enhance teachers' and learners'
skills simultaneously.
Pandor also said the awards celebrated the special qualities that teachers possessed to make learning enjoyable.
"The skill can be taught but it works best when it comes from within," she said.
The awards consisted of eight categories which all received a big number of nominations, but only 72 finalists made it.
Some of the categories were excellence in primary school teaching, excellence in secondary school teaching, excellence in primary school leadership and excellence in secondary school leadership.
Other categories were excellence in early childhood development, excellence in special needs teaching, excellence in Adult Basic Education and Training and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Elizabeth Nekhwevha, the principal of Resebone Primary School in North West.
She said the recognition she received would encourage other rural schools and open
doors for her research on HIV and AIDS pandemic in schools.
"This will help me institute my research findings in schools as well as for it to be used by the department of education in line with the national policy on HIV and AIDS," she said.
Guests who attended the ceremony included the Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel, Transnet CEO Maria Ramos and provincial education MECs.
Source: BuaNews
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