EMBEDDING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

All children have the ability to learn and have the right to quality education to enable them to reach their full potential. In South Africa, despite the substantial gains made in education since 1994, many children continue to be marginalised due to a web of interrelated barriers making them vulnerable to educational, social and economic exclusion. Some are denied access whilst many pass through the school system, or drop out, without receiving a quality education.

Teaching for All is an ambitious material and teacher development project that sees teachers as key change agents. Teaching for All aims to provide teachers with the skills, attitudes and knowledge to teach inclusively in diverse classrooms in diverse communities; thus contributing to a reduction of children being excluded from education.

Working with partners and key stakeholders, the Teaching for All project has developed teacher training modules and materials Bachelor of Education and Postgraduate Certificate in Education programmes. 10 South African universities are currently delivering the training, with the implementation being monitored and evaluated by the Centre for International Education at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. SACE-endorsed inclusive education in-service programmes are under development for delivery to Provincial Education Departments.

The success of Teaching for All relies on multi-sector partnerships committed to providing quality education for all learners:  British Council, the Department of Basic Education, Department of Higher Education and Training, the University of South Africa and MIET AFRICA. The project is funded by the European Union.  

The Teaching for All materials are open educational resources and we encourage you to download them from the list below and use and share them broadly. We also invite you to view and use our videos on our YouTube channel

Current developments

Teaching for All was successfully implemented with 2000 in-service teachers in the Western Cape, and their second cohort is being recruited. In April 2024, the Eastern Cape Department of Education will implement the programme with subject advisors, principals and teachers from the Eastern Cape. The implementation of the programme is realised through a partnership between the British Council, Department of Basic Education, Eastern Cape Department of Education and Nelson Mandela University. This implementation will serve as a stepping stone for implementation of the programme in the seven remaining provinces over the 2024/2025.

 CONTACT 

For further information on Teaching for All, please contact: Teresita Pholi at teresita.pholi@britishcouncil.org.za 

LIST OF DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES