PGCE Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching

Programme Information

The PGCE consists of a university-based learning (UBL) component and a school-based learning (SBL) component. The UBL component is presented in the format of learning shops during which students construct a practice theory of and for education. For the purpose of the SBL component, students are placed in two partnerships schools with different compositions for 8 weeks each (a total of 16 weeks), during which they engage in education practice while they are supported and assessed by qualified mentor teachers and university lecturers.
The choices in compiling the package have to be approved by the package coordinator before registration.

Admission Requirements

The MRTEQ policy (Gazette 34467) stipulates that the minimum admission requirement into a PGCE is an appropriate diploma or bachelor’s degree. An appropriate diploma or degree should include sufficient disciplinary learning in appropriate academic fields to enable the development of teaching specialisation or/and subjects as specified for each school phase. The MRTEQ policy also clearly defines minimum entrance requirement guidelines in terms of sufficient subject knowledge per qualifier, some specialisations and DHET approved diplomas (the DHET will publish a list of approved diplomas for entry into an Advanced Diploma in Teaching). Furthermore, a student’s choice in elective modules depends on the phase that a student qualifies for. In this regard the MRTEQ policy describes various factors that influence the range of teaching specialisations. These include:

Specialised pedagogical content addressing the particular qualifier;
Specialist requirements for the knowledge mix per qualifier;
Minimum admission requirements;
Approved teaching specialisations for Initial Teacher Education Qualifications;
Approved basic competences of a beginner teacher.

Additional Requirements

Senior Phase and FET Phase Teaching:
For an SP Specialisation: Appropriate subjects at second-year level (see programme modules).
For an FET Specialisation: Appropriate major subject at least at completed second-year level at NQF level 7 (see programme modules).
To become a First Language teacher or First Additional Language teacher a prospective student need to have successfully passed all academic modules at third-year university level for FET and second-year university level for SP; and have demonstrated mastery of or proficiency in the specific language.
Mastery of or proficiency in the specific language can be gauged by submitting sufficient proof from a recognised and accredited Language testing system; and/or consideration by the Dean in accordance with the selection committee after an interview.
A proficient/master user of a language has the following abilities (taken from CEF):

Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer clauses, and recognize implicit meaning;
Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions;
Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes;
Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation;
Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situation

If a student is selected into the PGCE and it becomes evident that additional Language learning is necessary, students may be requested to enrol for specialised modules such as ENG 118 for English Grammar etc. concurrently.
For Foreign Language teachers the following candidates can be considered:

First Language speakers of the language: Second-year university level is sufficient for FET-level teaching.
Additional Language speakers of the language:
Student should have passed the language at matric level AND second-year university level OR
Student should have passed third-year university level if he/she took the beginner courses during first-year university.