PGCE Intermediate Phase Teaching

Please note: no applications are considered for the  Foundation Phase- and Intermediate Phase Teaching  in PGCE. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has put a policy in place to specify a set of Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ) (Government Gazette no. 38487, 19 February 2015). The requirements for entry to the PGCE (Foundation Phase- and Intermediate Phase Teaching) have become so stringent that student numbers have declined to the extent that these specializations are not currently offered and will therefore not be available from 2017 until further notice.
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.

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.
• Appropriate subjects passed at a first-year academic level (100) which corresponds with one or more relevant subjects at school level (see programme modules).
• English passed at First year level. Any ONE official language passed at first-year degree level besides English.
• Any Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics or Applied Statistics, Accountancy (or suitable course addressing the Foundations of Mathematics) at First year level to 6 credits minimum.

Intermediate Phase Teaching:
Appropriate subjects passed at a first-year academic level (100) which corresponds with one or more relevant subjects at school level (see programme modules). English passed at First year level. Any ONE official language passed at first-year degree level besides English. Any Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics or Applied Statistics, Accountancy (or suitable course addressing the Foundations of Mathematics) at First year level to 6 credits minimum.