Statement by Adv. André Gaum, Minister of Education in the Western Cape

My department, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), enters a new era in in-service teacher training today (21 August 2003) by launching a do-it-yourself training programme based on a CD-ROM, videos and an instruction manual.

This approach holds huge potential for improving the knowledge and skills of our teachers and complements our other in-service training initiatives.

We are particularly pleased to launch this initiative during the Learning Cape Festival. It demonstrates our capacity for innovation, and our commitment to using the latest technology to support teaching and learning.

The new programme is designed to assist teachers in developing their understanding of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in Further Education and Training (FET) in high schools and FET colleges. We understand that it is the first of its kind in the country.

We will introduce FET in high schools in Grade 10 in 2006, with a view to awarding the first FET Certificates in 2008.

Teachers will be able to access the new OBE/FET training programme at schools. Earlier this year, we completed a five-year project to provide computers to almost every school in the province.

The CD-ROM is designed for individual study. It includes more than 250 pages of text and 30 video clips and takes teachers through three training modules, titled "Learning under review", "What makes OBE tick" and "OBE in action".

The first module, "Learning under review", looks at current debates in teaching and learning theory.

The second module, "What makes OBE tick", covers debates around OBE, and looks at how OBE has been introduced in other countries. The module includes video interviews with parents, learners and teachers.

The third module, "OBE in action", includes notes and planning support tools, and video clips on how to apply OBE in practice.

The CD-ROM automatically creates directories on a computer's hard drive for each teacher using the system, allowing space for a personal journal and other records protected by passwords. The computer records the time spent on training.

The CD-ROM also includes links to relevant web sites.

The videos in the training kit looks at case studies of schools that is experimenting with OBE.

The WCED recommends at least 16 weeks of training, starting with a staff meeting to look at how to use the training kit, and to provide training for those who do not have the necessary computer skills to operate a CD-ROM.

The programme should then consist of eight weeks of individual study, using modules one and two on the CD-ROM, followed by a staff meeting, using the first video during the meeting to stimulate discussion.

FET teachers would then spend another eight weeks on module three on the CD-ROM, followed by another staff meeting, using the second video to spark discussion. Further training would cover specific subjects.

At the end of the training period, school principals can award certificates provided in the training kit, should the school wish to do so.

This approach is set to revolutionise in-service teacher training. It complements and adds value to conventional training methods and supports the notion of self-paced study towards set outcomes, in line with our OBE philosophy.

The programme acknowledges prior learning, and provides the depth and engagement our teachers are looking for in training programmes on this level.

An additional spin-off is that our teachers will experience eLearning in a very meaningful way, and we hope their feedback will assist us in developing eLearning further.

This is a bold and exciting experiment that has involved hundreds of WCED staff members, learners and partners in education to date. They have opened new windows to learning, which will do much to improve the quality of education in this province. I congratulate them on this fine achievement.