The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has presented awards to the top Mathematics, Science and Technology teachers in the province.

Three teachers won the provincial Aggrey Klaaste Maths, Science and Technology Teacher of the Year Awards for 2006.

The awards form part of a national programme to celebrate excellence in mathematics, science and technology teaching.

The Telkom Foundation and the Sowetan newspaper have sponsored the awards.

Adnaan Ederies, Victor Ritchie and Sonnette Strydom came up trumps in the competition.

They received their awards at a special function at the Belmont Square Conference Centre, Rondebosch, on 24 February 2006.

Mr Ederies who has been a teacher for the past 14 years, teaches Information Technology in addition to Maths and Physical Science.

He won a computer, R5000 in cash and 20 computers for his school, South Peninsula High School as the top maths, science and technology teacher in Further Education and Training (FET).

About winning the award, he said: "I could not believe it because there are other teachers who seem to be working as hard as I do. But it was a nice surprise".

Mr Ederies, who teaches learners from grade 8 to grade 12, attributed his success as a teacher to his "interactive style of teaching".

Receiving the award was a "wonderful thing", said 70-year-old Victor Richie who has taught Maths, Physical Science and Biology for the past 55 years and who last missed a class in 1961.

He won the top award in the retired teachers’ category.

"The most important thing for me is to be recognized by the community and especially by the learners", he said.

He put down her success as teacher to his teaching philosophy that "every kid can pass Maths".

Sonnette Strydom of De Hoop Primary School, Somerset West, won the award for General Education and Training (GET).

She said being nominated for the award made her "feel appreciated for all the effort" she put into her work. She has taught Mathematics for the past 16 years.

The competition was open only to public school educators.

"All nominees must be educators who still have a passion for education and continue to make a difference in their community with respect to Maths, Science, and Technology," said Gavin De Bruyn of the WCED’s Human Resource Development Directorate, who managed the selection process in the Western Cape.

To qualify for the competition a candidate must be an educator at GET or FET phase or a former educator who has retired due to age, he said.

Curriculum advisors, facilitators, area managers and educators who left teaching for reasons other than age did not qualify to be nominated.

Candidates were required to present supporting documents such as certificates, portfolios, testimonials etc at the provincial adjudication.

The participants were judged on areas such as knowledge of their learners and their communities, public understanding of science and the image of Maths, content knowledge of Maths and teaching thereof, and participation in professional associations.

During the national round of the competition the overall winner from the national practicing educator category will receive equipment for Science Laboratory.

The National practicing educator category will receive a computer center for a school of his or her choice.

The three Western Cape winners were among 24 finalists from all nine provinces who qualified for the national awards.

The national Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, presented awards to the national winners in late March. The three national winners were from the Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

All the provincial nominees automatically qualified for the national finals.

From the left, in the foreground, Adnaan Ederies, Sonnette Strydom and Victor Ritchie, who won the Western Cape Aggrey Klaaste Maths, Science and Technology Teacher of the Year Awards for 2006.

For further information, contact Vincent Lali tel:  (021) 467-2646,  email vlali@pgwc.gov.za.