‘Teaching is your purpose’

In a fitting celebration of the 9th cohort of newly minted teachers, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) School of Education (SoE) rolled out the red carpet to recognise and honour the tenacity, agency and resilience that saw them through a “tough and uncertain” maiden year in the classroom.

The group of young teachers are part of the Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT) Project, an initiative of the SoE that provides critical support during their first year in the classroom. The project focuses on developing teachers’ professional resilience, providing them with the psychosocial support necessary to navigate this first, rigorous year in their new careers.

In keeping with tradition, NQTs, their families and friends, as well as academics from UCT and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology – the NQT partner university – packed the Neville Alexander Building on UCT’s lower campus to applaud the young teachers’ accomplishments.

Although they were a diverse group, teaching various subjects in both primary and high schools, the teachers were bound by a common thread of love and compassion for their learners, and a commitment to seeing each child fulfil their true potential.

A ‘brutal’ first year

Welcoming guests to the special reception, Dr Kate Angier, NQT project chairperson, said there was never an easy time to become a teacher. There was also never an easy first year in the classroom, because every year brought challenges large and small “as you grow your wings, literally in flight”.

“But this year seems to have felt even more brutal than many.”

“But this year seems to have felt even more brutal than many. Internationally, we’ve been watching the annihilation of children in schools, of homes and of futures in Gaza. And across the world, from our politicians and our leaders, we’ve been listening to those dehumanising words that speak of others in language seemingly devoid of any care and compassion,” she said.

At home in South Africa, Dr Angier reminded guests, the pervasive legacies of colonialism and apartheid had left the education landscape “devastatingly unequal”. NQTs, especially those working in under-resourced schools in marginalised communities, often felt very overwhelmed.

She acknowledged the difficulty of stepping into that space as the adult who was expected to have all the answers, trying to help children make sense of the complex world around them. The news that the Western Cape will need to cut around 2 400 teaching posts exacerbated anxiety among NQTs about their future in the profession, she added.

“So, this has been a particularly difficult year to be an NQT, which somehow makes it even more important that we are joyful and that we celebrate … that we celebrate the support structures that have developed through the NQT programme, and the incredible care that you NQTs have shown each other.”

Teaching is ‘a calling’

Sinenjongo High School teacher Ntombozuko Mavikela, recipient of the prestigious UCT Stella Clark Teachers’ Award for 2024 and keynote speaker at the event, welcomed the new teachers to the profession, reminding them that a career in education was never easy.

Mavikela, who is an English teacher at the Milnerton school, lauded the NQT project for its work, and the strong support system it provides young teachers during a critical time in their careers.

She told the NQTs they should expect learners to routinely test their patience but urged them to remember why they had chosen the profession. Teaching is a calling, she said, and part of their life’s purpose. During their careers, they would be called upon by dozens of young people in their classrooms to lead them gently through some of their toughest times.

After just one year in the classroom, NQTs could already relate to some of Mavikela’s pearls of wisdom. She said teachers are not just teachers. They’re also social workers, nurses, police officers, parents, and sometimes their learners’ main source of guidance and support. While these extra responsibilities would challenge teachers in a myriad of ways, they also made the job meaningful and rewarding.

“You will get learners who will challenge you and [those who will] appreciate you.”

“Teaching gets easier, it does. It might not look that way, but it does get easier with time,” Mavikela assured the new teachers.

“You will get learners who will challenge you and [those who will] appreciate you, and you will get to hear their stories when they go to university. Constantly remind yourself of why you started teaching. The ‘why’ will carry you through,” she said.

Recognising excellence

For Natalie Southgate, from curriculum support in the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED), the celebration reminded her of the challenges in the education system, and the resilience of teachers. She congratulated everyone involved in the project on their “brilliant work” in supporting new teachers, saying this commitment to nurturing these connections made a profound difference in the education landscape.

“The [event] highlighted something fundamental: that at the core of teaching lies human connection. Just as learners need to connect with their teachers to learn, teachers need someone to walk beside them on their journey,” Southgate said.

“Your work fills a crucial void.”

“Thank you for undertaking this important journey with them. It is because of programmes like the NQT project, and dedicated staff like yourselves, that teachers receive the support they desperately need. Your work fills a crucial void – reaching educators that the WCED cannot always support directly,” she added.