Award-winning Kimberley teacher attends seminar in China

LEBOGANG Diutlwileng, the principal of Re Tlameleng Special School in Kimberley and recipient of the 2023 National Teaching Award for ‘Excellence in Special Needs Leadership’, recently participated in a transformative two-week education management seminar in China.

The event, held from August 7 to 21, was part of a capacity-building programme aimed at enhancing educational management in developing countries.

Diutlwileng was joined by four other national award winners.

The initiative is a testament to the strong multilateral relations between South Africa and China, aligning with South Africa’s National Development Goals 2030 and China’s commitment to sharing its developmental successes. The seminar, themed ‘Enhancement of Management Capacity in Primary and Secondary Schools for Developing Countries’, also aimed to foster cultural exchanges as outlined in the collected writings of Chinese President Xi Jinping, titled “The Governance of China”.

The South African delegation, which arrived at Shanghai Airport on August 6, also included:

• Fiona Tooray from Battlefields Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal, who was awarded for ‘Excellence in Primary School Leadership’ in 2023.

• Gugu Qwabe of Mandla Mthethwa School of Excellence in KwaZulu-Natal, recognised as the ‘Best Teacher’ in 20023.

• Mandla Dhlamini from Mapaleni Middle School in Mpumalanga, honoured for ‘Excellence in Advanced Teaching in ICT’ in 2022.

• Vikane Msimanga of Phendukani Full Service High School in KwaZulu-Natal, awarded for ‘Excellence in Secondary School Leadership’ in 2023.

The seminar saw participation from several other developing countries, including Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Samoa, Mauritius, Kiribati, Iraq, Grenada and Thailand. The programme featured a series of seminars and experiential exchanges across different cities, providing a platform for educators to share insights and best practices in school management.

Team SA was based in Jinhua, a thriving and highly developed city in the central region of Zhejiang province, south-eastern China.

Diutlwileng shared that their itinerary included visits to Jinhua, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The team participated in lectures, field visits, cultural experiences, and practical tours to museums and other places of interest, while also enjoying a variety of local cuisines.

Jinhua, with a population of 7.05 million and a land area of 10,942 square kilometres, has seen significant economic growth in recent years. This growth is driven by four main industries: machinery, textiles, food processing and chemicals. Other key economic sectors include building materials, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, paper-making, plastics, leather and electronics.

The city is also home to the host university, Zhejiang Normal University, one of China’s largest and most prestigious institutions, boasting a student population of over 50,000 and comprising 23 colleges.

OBSERVATIONS

Based on his observations throughout the seminar, Diutlwileng expressed his hope that the partnership between South Africa and China on educator development will continue. He emphasised the importance of providing this profound opportunity to as many teachers as possible.

Diutlwileng noted that China is passionate about early childhood stimulation and family education, where parents attend classes at fully functional faculties. He pointed out that South Africa struggles to involve parents in their children’s education.

“Primary and high schools, especially those in the same areas, should start discussing the possibilities for shared programmes, resources and general active collaboration,” he suggested.

He also recommended reducing academic content and the number of theory-based subjects. According to him, more skills-based subjects, including sports, arts and culture, should be introduced and recognised as integral parts of the curriculum, rather than just extra-curricular activities.

Diutlwileng elaborated that South African schools should create active environments where learners can assimilate soft skills and absorb an unseen curriculum encompassing attitudes, norms, values, culture, posture, mindsets and language.

"Efforts should be made to ensure that every school produces a skillful child. Learners should not only exit the system with a matric certificate but also with practical skills they can use industriously, even independently of their school exit certificate,” he said.

"Every learner should be exposed to national and international competitions or festivals in their areas of interest and skill; this will greatly benefit their confidence and drive.

“Having had this opportunity to interact with the international community, I am convinced that our learners have some advantages. One of our learners’ strongest attributes is resilience, which can take them far in life.”

He highlighted that the philosophy of China’s schooling system is to identify and enhance the abilities and interests of individual learners.

"Their core focus is to build learners’ self-esteem and confidence so they can become industrious in their schooling and life. This approach shifts the emphasis away from achieving high grades, recognising that not all learners excel academically.

"The intention of this system is to deliver quality and holistic education, tailored to each learner, which also allows the schooling system to produce diverse skills for the country’s labour market.

“There should be seamless articulation between schools, institutions of higher education and the labour market. It is pointless for schools to prepare a learner for 12 years only for them to be a mismatch to both tertiary education and the labour market upon graduation.”

He pointed out that overcrowding in classrooms in many South African schools contributes to learner ill-discipline, high failure rates and low teacher morale.

"Building more schools and classrooms is necessary. Research should be conducted to determine whether existing continuous teacher development programmes are effective, productive and attractive.

"Amendments and improvements should be considered with both the teacher and learner in mind. Ongoing help should be sought from educational psychologists and other relevant experts to create happy school environments for all stakeholders, ensuring that learners and teachers are excited to be at school.

“Schools should think more creatively and intentionally about involving parents in their children’s education.”

He based these observations on the fact that China’s vision informs the standing and direction of not only the education system but the very life of its people.

“The values and norms taught in schools are also taught in homes and communities. It is evident that the country’s vision is not isolated but is the golden thread that filters from the president to the entire country through the education system.”

RESOURCES

Rating the resources at both public and private schools in China, he noted that public schools are well-equipped and professionally run, often matching or even surpassing private schools in quality.

"There is intentional investment in sports, arts, culture education and food production. Children are stimulated through various mediums from a very early age. They have access to functional playgrounds with a variety of educational facilities in their communities and shopping malls.

"China’s museums are extremely child-friendly. It was impressive to see that the culture and essence of the Chinese nation are intentionally preserved in children through generations via teaching and exposure to extra/co-curricular activities.

"Seeing little children engrossed in the opera, excited to visit museums and actively engaged in educational games at every recreational centre was captivating.

"Every opportunity is used to teach and consolidate lessons taught in class. Schools have the liberty to maximise parental involvement, which is not just the responsibility of individual schools but a national programme funded accordingly.

“Universities have faculties dedicated to parental involvement at the basic education level. They teach parents how to support their children academically, emotionally, psychologically and in other ways.”

Regarding parent meetings, Diutlwileng said that schools in China engage parents in innovative ways, such as forming sports teams, and dance and music groups that compete against other schools’ parents in their regions.

“Every primary school is connected to a high school offering similar programmes, especially in extra-murals, environment, and values. Additionally, each primary and high school is affiliated with a university, ensuring a seamless transition from one educational level to the next without compromising the efforts of the previous institution or setting the learner back.

"Reading for leisure and academics is a significant part of life, both at home and school. There are indoor and outdoor libraries everywhere, including at schools. Picking up a book to read in China is not an inconvenience.

"The Ministry of Education considers teacher training one of its top priorities. Quality education cannot occur unless teachers attain the highest level of education. On-the-job teacher training is a crucial focus of the Education Ministry.

“The amount of resources invested in putting systems in place to enhance teacher proficiency is commendable. Mostly they make use of university academics to visit schools for teacher training on any matter of concern. Teacher training is not generic, individual teachers receive tailor-made training specific to them.”

LIFE-CHANGING

Diutlwileng described the experience and networks he was exposed to for the past two weeks as “momentous” and invaluable to his growth as an educator.

“This has been a time of learning and self-reflection. While the South African schooling system should always seek opportunities for improvement, we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves. Comparatively speaking, we are far ahead of many developing countries.”

He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Basic Education for selecting him to participate in this life-changing seminar and for their confidence in him.

"A special thanks to my supervisor, Nene Matshelo, for always holding my hand and motivating me, and to the district director for Frances Baard, Dr Palesa Manwedi-Thulo, for her warmth, vision and accessibility.

“I appreciate all the staff members at Re Tlameleng Special School for their support and prayers. Most importantly, I am grateful to the learners and their parents for keeping me humble and on my toes all the time.”