Faculty of Educational Sciences

About Faculty of Educational Sciences

Welcome to the Faculty of Educational Sciences!

The vision and mission of the Faculty of Educational Sciences devolve from and are located in the contexts of the vision and mission of Walter Sisulu University respectively.

The vision of Walter Sisulu University (WSU) WSU will be a values-driven, technology-infused African university providing a gateway for local talent to be globally competitive and to make a sustainable impact, that resonates appropriately with that of the Faculty which is to be a leading faculty in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and neighbouring countries in the preparation and provision of teachers of the highest quality, with emphasis on teachers of Mathematics, Science and Technology as well as other critical school learning fields and in the upliftment of regional, provincial and national communities through appropriate community development interventions.

It is that portion of the broad spectrum of the mission of the University which refers to the provision of affordable, appropriate, career-focused and professional programmes that addresses rural development and urban renewal with primary emphasis on science, technology and development studies which resonates aptly with the mission of the Faculty, namely commitment to excellence in the provision of programmes for the initial professional education of teachers (pre-service) and continuing professional teacher development (in-service) which are geared towards equipping future and serving teachers with relevant knowledge and skills of the highest quality, with emphasis on teachers of Mathematics, Science and Technology as well as other critical school learning (subject) fields.

The Faculty is one of five faculties constituting the Mthatha Campus. It is made up of the following five departments:

The primary mandate of the Faculty of Educational Sciences is to produce and develop competent teachers at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the various fields of the basic school education, adult and community education systems.

To do this the Faculty provides a range of qualifications that enable young and aspiring students to study to become primary and secondary school teachers or community educators in their communities.

Students can choose to become teachers by enrolling for a degree in Education (BEd) or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), specialising in two or more school subjects.

The BEd degree has a number of specialisations, ranging from Business, Commerce and Management, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Consumer Sciences, Languages, Humanities (Geography and History) to Creative Arts (Music and Crafts).

The Faculty further provides studies in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET). Students can specialise by obtaining a Diploma in Adult Basic Education and Training (ND: ABET) from which they can be ready to take up responsibilities in the various communities, where there is a vast need to tackle the problem of illiteracy, particularly in many rural villages of South Africa.

The Faculty of Educational Sciences also provides students with opportunities to further their studies after the completion of their first qualification.

Postgraduate qualifications offered are Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), which may be done after any first basic qualification such as National Diploma and any bachelor’s degree programmes such as Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE), BEd Honours, MEd and DEd.

Moreover, the Faculty of Educational Sciences offers opportunities for research and community engagement.

In research, students are exposed to research-related methodologies that enable them to make inquiries and establish findings that make them answer some of the issues that impact positively and negatively on the experiences of learning and teaching in schools and communities.

Through research, the Faculty also partners with communities for development through the process of community engagement.

The Faculty is involved in several community projects such as the Siemens-WSU Science project, Department of Transport (DoT), Department of Basic Education and WSU Mathematics and Science Project, NMU- WSU-DBE Gamma Tutor Project, UFS-WSU–DBE Key Concepts in Science & Family Maths, Nelson Mandela Legacy Project and School-Based Experience.

Through these projects, the Faculty prides itself on making a sterling contribution to the communities around WSU.

By so doing the Faculty becomes a stakeholder in the sustainable development of such communities.

All the pre-service teacher education students have to undertake School-Based Experience (SBE) as a compulsory component of their teaching programme.

This gives them the opportunity to familiarise themselves practically with the schools, learners, teachers, school governors and community members in the schools where they are attached for a total period of not less than three months and up to six months depending on the programmes they have been registered for.

This period of interaction with the schools’ communities makes it an important chance through which many students are able to leave a lasting impression on such communities on the type of students and future teachers we produce as a Faculty.

It is through this programme (SBE) that our students are able to portray the image of the Faculty and the University to the communities and society at large.

It is during the SBE programme that most of our student-teachers market themselves for permanent employment, while at the same time are offering quality teaching and learning to schools.

It is, therefore, important to note that, as an aspiring student-teacher, you should make use of the opportunity created for you through our programmes and make the most out of your stay in the Faculty by concentrating mostly on what you are here for and very little on what you are not here for.

Our highly efficient staff members are available, ready to guide and mentor you to become competent teachers who are worthy of the name “teacher” or “educator”, not only as a degree or diploma holders, but as knowledge creators, and disseminators, for the upliftment of the economy.

Help us to help you! Opportunities are abundant in the Faculty. Make hay while the sun shines! We are waiting to receive you. Welcome to the Faculty of Educational Sciences!

Welcome to the Faculty of opportunities!

Welcome to your future!

Dr BZ Gobingca

Dean of Educational Sciences