1. The National Teaching Awards recognise excellence and high levels of professionalism, and provide the education fraternity with the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of outstanding teachers. Furthermore, it highlights the exceptional work done by teachers in general. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is, therefore, proud to host and organise the provincial awards, which lead to the National Teaching Awards.
2.

The different award categories are as follows:

  • EXCELLENCE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHING
  • EXCELLENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHING
  • EXCELLENCE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
  • EXCELLENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
  • EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD)
  • EXCELLENCE IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHING
  • EXCELLENCE IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING (ABET)
  • LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
3. Provincial winners will each receive a laptop computer, compliments of the Western Cape Education Department.
4. There will also be monetary awards for the schools at which the cluster winners, provincial winners and national winners teach.
5. Information guides and nomination forms (enclosed) are being distributed to all WCED institutions, as well as to ABET and ECD centres. All teachers are invited to participate in this process by submitting nominations (criteria and format contained in information guides) to their principals or centre managers, who will then send the completed nomination forms to their respective education districts for the attention of the district co-ordinators. Should you require further information, please contact one of the following district co-ordinators:

Eden & Central Karoo:Dr Fernholdt Galant
Junita Muller
028 713 2928
044 803 8300
Cape Winelands (excluding Paarl
& Stellenbosch) & Overberg:
Joaniel Pieterse
Japie Bailey
023 348 4619
083 707 2197
West Coast (including
Stellenbosch & Paarl):
JA Mouton
Dr Michael le Cordeur
022 482 2737
021 860 1200
Metropole South: Dryfus Jonas
Karen Dudley
021 370 2000
082 691 6768
Metropole East:Zenna Grove021 900 7000
Metropole North:Trevor Adams
Spencer Tonkin
021 938 3016
021 938 3033
Metropole Central:Alton Koenze021 659 4428/9


6. Your attention is drawn to the following extracts from the nomination guide:

"The principal/centre manager must organise a nomination meeting that would include the School Governing Body (SGB)/Centre Governing Body (CGB) to discuss the nomination process."

"The staff and the SGB/CGB members of the school/centre must study the criteria requirements of each category and draw up attributes or qualities that would match their nominees with particular given criteria."

"Once suitable teachers/teams have been nominated, their names must be filled in on the Nomination Forms provided."

7. A team should consist of not more than five educators.
8. Principals and centre managers are compelled to hold the nomination meeting by no later than 20 June 2008. Minutes of the meeting must be kept and submitted to the circuit manager, for the attention of the relevant district co-ordinator.
9. Principals and centre managers must also complete and submit the attached Annexure A by no later than 20 June 2008, to the circuit manager, for the attention of the relevant district co-ordinator.
10. The prize money received by schools or centres must be used for staff development aimed at improving the quality of teaching.
11. The closing date for all nomination forms to be submitted to the district co-ordinators is 30 June 2008.
12. Kindly bring the contents of this minute to the attention of all members of your teaching staff.


SIGNED: E. KIRSTEN
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2008:06:03

Annexure A: Nomination form  (size: 18 KB)

The "Information guides" referred to in this Minute are available as hard copies only and were sent to schools.