Western Cape teachers continue to learn
13 February 2020
The Western Cape Education Department’s professional development centre, the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI), hosts hundreds of teachers on a weekly basis, while many others attend professional learning opportunities elsewhere in the province.
In addition to attending weekday interventions, teacher commitment is further confirmed through their dedicated participation on weekends and during holidays. These teachers demonstrate the WCED’s mantra for teachers: enter to serve, continue to learn.
The CTLI focuses on improving the quality of teaching of all in-service teachers, thereby supporting and securing functional schools. Learning opportunities range from shorter engagements of several hours to five- and ten-day courses. Courses are endorsed by the South African Council for Educators and cover a wide range of topics aimed at teachers, principals, deputy principals and departmental heads.
The CTLI’s 2020 programme includes curriculum-related courses and seminars for the four phases, as well as interventions dealing with inclusive education, barriers to learning, and school management and leadership development. The values in education, as a pillar of the WCED’s Transform to Perform Strategy, are incorporated in the CTLI’s presentations, which creates opportunities for teachers to engage with the strategy.
The CTLI closely collaborates with the ETDP SETA and higher education institutions (HEIs) to provide full qualification programmes, such as the Advanced Certificate in Teaching and the Advanced Diploma in Education, in various subjects and phases to retrain and upskill teachers in content knowledge and teaching methodology. Other engagements with HEIs aim to best prepare students for when they enter schools and classrooms as teachers.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions and integration interventions are central to all the CTLI’s courses, which empowers teachers to be masters of ICT-enabled classrooms. The Education Library and Information Services (EDULIS), as a primary source of information, research and other material, is regarded as a key partner in promoting professional development and is situated on the CTLI campus.
All courses and interventions are advertised on the CTLI’s website, which opens the gateway to professional development through a user-friendly platform with step-by-step instructions.