The WSU Butterworth campus Faculty of Education organised a  Foundation Phase Capacity Development Workshop to equip students with the  exit level outcomes for the Bachelor of Education Foundation Phase teaching program.

The main goal of the workshop was to provide the first group of foundation phase students with the necessary skills to become effective teachers.

These students were the first batch to complete the foundation phase program at Butterworth Campus and  have reached their exit level.

Faculty of Education Dean, Prof. Nolutho Diko, emphasised the significance of finding enjoyment in what one does as a teacher and making an effort to be an effective one.

“There used to be a misperception that teaching foundation phase meant you could never become a professor; this misconception has to be dispelled. You're here today to learn about the latest advancement in your profession simply because you need to keep learning and expanding your knowledge, ”stated  Diko.

Amongst the attendees was the Deputy Chief Education Specialist-Curriculum for the Foundation Phase program, Bulelani Tsitsa, who spoke on the value of laying a strong foundation for children because their futures are predetermined at a very young age.

Tsitsa went on to introduce the Primary School Reading Improvement Programme (PSRIP), which attempts to improve foundational language skills and guarantee that instructors adhere to lesson plans.

“The PSRIP's main goal is to support teachers in their ability to teach languages in the foundation phase. This is as a result of the fact that the majority of teachers lack the necessary language teaching skills because they were not trained as language specialists,” said Tsitsa.

He further added that the PSRIP is a quick-moving, highly effective reading development and support programme that seeks to increase the Foundation Phase teachers' ability to employ the various reading approaches included in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document.

This workshop benefited the B ed Foundation Phase students by making them aware of what is expected of them during their School-Based Experience.

They were given a tour of the PSRIP Program's resources, which include notebooks, charts, and a variety of other tools, and were urged to always keep their lesson plans in mind when teaching.

By Sibabalwe Kela