SACTE - upgrading professional qualifications through distance education throughout South Africa

Ernie Blignaut introduces the South African College for Teacher Education (SACTE), which was established on 1 March, 1996, as the result of a merger between two existing distance education colleges, the College of Education of South Africa (CESA) and the College for Continuing Education (CCE). Both these colleges were involved in the further education of practising educators. The College was officially inaugurated by Prof. S M E Bengu on 6 March, 1998, at which occasion a new emblem and flag were also introduced.

SACTE is a national distance education college and all diplomas offered are thus recognized by all nine provincial education departments. The College endeavours to maintain close links with these departments in order to meet their specific educator needs. SACTE's Head Office, accommodating the academic staff, is situated in Groenkloof, Pretoria, while the Student Administration Centre can be found in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

MISSION STATEMENT

It is the mission of SACTE, as a national education institution, to commit itself, through distance education and in-service training, to:
•    improving classroom practice;
•    improving the culture of teaching and learning by promoting appropriate knowledge, skills, and values;
•    facilitating lifelong learning opportunities for the educator;
•    building educators' professional capabilities by providing relevant, quality-assured, purposeful courses; and,
•    providing community learning opportunities.

TRANSFORMATION

The closure of two colleges in 1996 resulted in SACTE having to operate with an academic staff of whom more than 50% were temporary. SACTE's official inauguration gave the College a unique opportunity to enter into a transformation process, during which equity of opportunity and quality in terms of the educational needs of the new South Africa will receive prominence. The vacant posts were advertised and permanent, more representative, staff appointments made. With more posts to be advertised, this process will continue.

PROGRAMMES OFFERED

At present the College has approximately 20 000 students who are either improving their professional qualifications from M+0 to M+3 or upgrading to M+4 or M+5. The College offers all unqualified and underqualified practising educators the opportunity to obtain a teaching qualification, or to upgrade their present qualifications, through distance education.

The College offers:
•    a Diploma in Education (Pre-Primary, Junior Primary, Senior Primary);
•    a Diploma in Education Secondary (General, Home Economics, and Technical);
•    a Higher Diploma in Education (Pre-Primary, Junior Primary, Senior Primary, and Secondary), and
•    Further Diplomas in Education (Computer Sciences, Education Management, Economic Sciences, English Language Teaching, Home Economics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences for the Junior Secondary Phase, School Subjects, Special Educational Needs, or Technical).

SACTE will offer the B.Ed degree in collaboration with the University of Natal from 1999. This degree will have an approach oriented strongly towards professional, classroom school management.

The college's twenty-five academic departments represent all eight learning areas, as well as educational support areas such as Guidance and Early Childhood Development. We are currently also involved in community development projects and see ourselves playing an even bigger role in this field in the future.

LEARNER SUPPORT

Although training is through distance education, SACTE endeavours to provide opportunities for learning as close as possible to the student's doorstep. Learners are therefore supported by means of ongoing lecturer support, regular tutoring services, supportive audiotape and videotape materials, and telephonic services. SACTE offers its study material in modules. This divides the work into smaller sections that are easier to grasp, and also offers learners the opportunity to write examinations twice a year at any of almost 120 examination centres.

The College has spent a great deal of time studying the requirements of outcomes-based and skills-based education, and academic staff have taken care to ensure that these principles are built into their study material. Study material consists of packages of interactive learning modules that are frequently updated.

In support of the development of user-friendly study material, the College boasts a state-of-the-art video studio, with Betacam broadcast standard equipment, a sound booth and professional recording facilities, an in-house graphic design studio, and an ultra modern printing unit where all study material and other supportive materials are produced. All these facilities are also available to support the professional education fraternity, and even private institutions, the workload of SACTE staff permitting.

COLLABORATION

SACTE has established close cooperation with a variety of tertiary education institutions, including the University of Natal, Pretoria College, Edgewood College of Education, Hebron College of Education, and Technikon Southern Africa. These associations have assisted the College in its endeavours to establish Regional Learning Centres (RLCs) and appoint tutors who can assist students with their study problems. SACTE is on the verge of establishing similar cooperative agreements with other sister institutions throughout the country, thus establishing an effective, nation-wide education network.

Tutors with the necessary qualifications and experience, are appointed at the different RLCs to support students in the different geographical areas. They undergo an intensive training programme to ensure that they conform to the norms and standards of the College.

The College has also launched a project to establish resource centres at all RLCs, where students can obtain additional information from books and periodicals. These resource centres will be equipped with technologies such as video, audio and computer, where students can even have access to the Internet and e-mail. They will provide learning areas where students can study and discuss educational matters as a peer group. RLCs also serve as administrative centres where students can enrol, buy examination tickets, hand in assignments, and receive learning materials.

Once SACTE falls under the national Department of Education, it intends to appoint academic staff at each RLC as soon as possible. This will be an important step in ensuring the provision of the type of student support the College wants to offer.

At SACTE, we are committed to working as closely as possible with the national Department of Education, provincial departments of Education, and any NGOs involved in education and training. In order to keep abreast of developments, the College, as an institution and via individual staff members, is directly involved in, and thus vigorously supports, the development and promotion of new national ventures such as Curriculum 2005 and outcomes-based education. Various staff members serve on subject study committees and the bodies associated with Curriculum 2005.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

The main priority of SACTE is the further development of classroom expertise in its students. To achieve this, we ensure that our courses and implementation procedures always embody the latest thinking on education issues and we strive to inculcate in our students an attitude of commitment and dedication to teaching. SACTE is also looking at supporting the government's in-service programme in as many tangible ways as possible.

Ernie Blignaut is Marketing Manager at the South African College for Teacher Education