Matome Chiloane
WHEN the Gauteng Education Department conceptualised the formation of the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and
Governance 21 years ago, it was just a dream. But we had a solid vision. It was one rooted in a commitment to
continuously develop all stakeholders in the education system in the province.
Our reflection of the past 21 years has been nothing short of a marvel. The work of the institution has not only been an
infinite well of impressive success, but now also serves as an inspiration across the country. Other provinces have
reached out to us enquiring about the model of the MGSLG.
This is a demonstration that the results of the sweat and hardwork of the men and women who have committed to ensuring the institution is a beacon of light, is clear for all to see.
The school has undoubtedly served its mandate which includes being responsible for the training of school governing bodies, teacher development and student bodies. This gives us a great sense of contentment.
For the past 21 years, the institution has achieved its role of ensuring that everyone is capacitated. And this is something that we want to see continue. Our role in the department is simple. It is to ensure that we educate and prepare those who are the future of our province and country to meaningfully contribute to society because everyone’s journey in life starts with educators.
Having acknowledged that this responsibility is centred around teacher and school leadership development, we must guarantee that we consistently resource the institution.
Undoubtedly, we are full of praise to the board and staff of the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance for their unwavering commitment and exemplary efforts extended by the school in fostering training and augmenting capacities of schools, teachers, SGBs, and RCLs.
The task ahead is daunting, and we look forward to walking this journey alongside you. The province was committed to ensuring that learners – and teachers benefited from the latest in technology to make an impact in the classroom.
As a province, we have decided to future-proof our schools, teachers, and learners, by staying ahead of the curve when it comes to the role and use of digital technologies in teaching, learning, and curriculum.
Your institution and your partners will continue to play a massive role in this regard. The infusion of coding and robotics in education is no longer a matter of preference; it’s a critical pivot.
Continually training our teachers on the new curriculum, information and communication technology (ICT), and new teaching methods has been central to the overall performance of our schools.
The MGSLG also has the mandate to train school governing bodies; they are charged with the important duty of securing peaceful and conducive teaching and learning environments. They need to understand their mandates within the schools as do the teachers.
It is also important to reflect on how the institution has leaned on its innovative capabilities to adapt to the times.
Education, like all facets of life, is an ever-evolving feature of the human development process.
Most recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we witnessed how ICT was a catalyst to the few solutions we could lean on to navigate the
challenges we were confronted with concerning face-to-face teaching and learning. However, because some of educators in the province had already received ICT training from the MGSLG, the transition was not impossible to achieve in many areas.
Our desire as a province is for the institution to continue in this vein. We must focus on these skills and include even more beneficiaries. We envision an education system in the province where all school governing bodies are well-informed and knowledgeable about their constitutions and the responsibilities they are elected to meet. We want to see educators whose ability to adapt to new curricula and methods of teaching, is seamless.
Learners must be taught leadership skills so that they too can meaningfully contribute to building effective and successful schools. The development of the respective stakeholders will also lead to a more harmonised relationship between the entire school body and leadership.
For 21 years, the MGSLG has pushed the boundaries. The programmes on offer have adapted to meet the needs of our beneficiaries.
And this is why we are confident about the future of the institution for many decades to come. The work done in the past 21
years is no small feat. However, as we prepare for a more advanced world, with evolution moving at a swift pace, the
institution must prepare to respond to the needs of the thousands of early childhood development (ECD) teachers, who are
now a responsibility of the Basic Education Department.
There are some 3000 private and 4000 public ECD centres in the province. One of the key reasons for transferring the portfolio from the Social Development Department to the Department of Basic Education was to centralise the sector.
At the heart of this work is the need to capacitate teachers with the necessary skills to mould South Africans so that they can build the country of our dreams as their development will have been well crafted from their very foundation. I want to congratulate the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance on being instrumental in the education landscape not only in the province, but across the country over the past 21 years.
It is with great anticipation and hope that I look forward to joining hands with the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and
Governance to traverse this transformative path. Let us forge ahead with unified resolve and unwavering dedication to elevate our
educational standards, foster innovation, and ultimately, build a brighter, more equitable future for all our learners.
INSIDE EDUCATION
