Welcome to Dutywa District!

Last Friday, 15th July, the Global Teachers (GTs) travelled from Centurion in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, to their new home, Dutywa District in the Eastern Cape.

Upon their arrival to the Eastern Cape, the GTs received a huge welcome at a reception organised by Link Community Development (LCD) South Africa and the Dutywa Department of Education.

We received this report from Siphiwo Thibane, LCD South Africa Project Manager.

"Various organisations and institutions presented messages of welcome and support, wishing the Global Teachers a happy and fruitful placement in the rural schools of the district".

"The Dutywa District Director of Education talked to a great extent about learner performance in South Africa where for example grade 6 learners were found unable to read, write and compute. He presented this as a challenge with the hope of getting some kind of intervention from the Global Teachers...he advised that sharing of teaching strategies with school teachers could possible lead to the desired outcome..."

Mr. Dwangu, Dutywa District Director of Education addressing the audience at the Global Teachers welcome reception

"Walter Sisulu University representative, Professor Jadezweni, pointed out that as a local university they support this kind of initiative as it aims at improving the quality of education in their feeder schools. He emphasized the problem of teaching and learning in a foreign language [i.e. English] as one of the reasons contributing to poor academic results in this country..." 

Professor Jadezweni of Walter Sisulu University speaks at the Global Teachers welcome reception.

"This was the most interesting moment, Global Teachers and school principals meeting for the first time. The school profiles and introduction letters which were exchanged before placement contributed to a speedy interaction between these two parties. It was a matter of putting a face behind a name already known. After the event, the Global Teachers were left in the good hands of principals to take them to their host families. 

The Global Teachers wait to meet the principals of their host schools.

"Global Teacher Máire Hearty greeted the audience in IsiXhosa language [one of the official languages of South Africa, widely spoken in the Eastern Cape] saying, “Molweni” [hello]. Máire thanked all present for their warm welcome, kindness and support".

Global Teacher Máire Hearty thanks everybody for the warm welcome to Dutywa District.

Visit www.lcd.ie for more information about the Global Teachers Programme.