Teachers recite pledge at UFS

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – Prospective teachers enrolled at the University of the Free State (UFS) stood before their lecturers and representatives from the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education Department (TMED) to recite the teachers’ pledge committing to teach and guide future learners.

According to Nkosana Kheswah a UFS alumnus who got his teaching qualification from this university, the journey of becoming a teacher is a calling that the prospective teachers that were gathered at the UFS Mandela hall on May 23 must take very seriously otherwise they risk destroying the lives of future learners or their own.

“The field of education no longer needs ordinary thinkers but innovators; this is 2024 and technology allows for teachers to be innovative instead of complaining.
“Go there and make a difference, but if you are weak go there and perish. If you are strong, you will be innovative enough to find solutions to the problems that you are going to face. Not all principals are receptive to change and new ideas. Don’t tell me that after the hard work of getting your qualification here at Kovsies you are going to throw it away by finding yourselves in compromising situations like sleeping with learners.

“Are you going to be that teacher who is always facing multiple disciplinary hearings? If you think education is about money, go to a different field. If you want to succeed as a teacher, you must be patient and persistent. Go out there to make a positive change in the lives of learners and the community where you will be based,” Khesswah said when addressing the crowd gathered at the Mandela Hall.

In his keynote address, acting Deputy Director General (DDG) of the Free State Department of Education (FSDoE) Edward Montsho reiterated the words of previous speakers when he said: “It’s a rare privilege and an honour on behalf of the FSDoSE to address you our prospective and future employees. If you understand what you are as a teacher, you will do well. According to the National Development Plan (NDP) vision, by 2030 South African learners must have access to the highest quality of education and training this can only be achieved through quality teachers who understand their role.

“The department of education needs skilled and agile teachers who will involve parents because education is a societal matter, parents must support the learners. In the world of work there are three stages of work, the first part of work is a job. Individuals who are more concerned about the financial benefits of their work and don’t care about anything else and view work as a job and don’t put more effort than is required.

Free State Department of Education Deputy Director General Edward Montsho addressing prospective teachers at the UFS Qwaqwa campus.

“As a teacher is teaching to you a job, a career, or a calling? Individuals who see work as a career put more effort and teachers who consider their work as a career put more effort and do more than is required. When you are a teacher who sees teaching as a calling every morning when you wake up you ask yourself the question am I changing lives? I urge all the prospective teachers gathered here to see teaching as a career or a calling and not just as a job.”

Among those gathered there where Professor Prince Ngobeni the principal of UFS, Lindiwe Mabaso the district director of TMED, principals from some of the schools in Maluti-a- Phofung (MAP) as well as the lecturing staff at UFS.