PGCE is a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. This program is designed to address the growing need for educators, and to help discerning graduates who wish to switch to a career in education, despite not originally studying courses related to, or which would normally enable them to have careers in classrooms.
With the PGCE program, you get to attain a certification in less than two years, which enables you to work as a teacher. You also get exposure in real-life classrooms so as to help you adjust to the school climate. The advantages are numerous, and that is why PGCE programs are becoming more and more popular.
What You Need to Know about PGCE
As mentioned above, the PGCE certification enables you to teach, but you must have studied the foundation of that course before coming to study for a PGCE. For example; after completing an undergraduate degree with the appropriate subjects, one can qualify as a high school teacher in the same subjects he has studied before.
For example, in order to teach Drama in schools, you must have already completed subjects like Speech and Drama training or Dramatic Arts. For you to teach certain languages such as English or Zulu you must also have taken those subjects in your undergraduate degree. The same goes for Agriculture, Accountancy, and so on.
List Of Universities That Offer PGCE In South Africa
PGCE training and certification is not limited to one institution. There are several universities and colleges that offer this training and certification. Below we list them out.
Cornerstone Institute
Cornerstone Institute offers a PGCE program which is for students who want to qualify as professional educators in the Intermediate Phase. This program is for those who have completed a related three-year degree or recognized national diploma in the same subject.
Admission Requirements
Cornerstone Institute requires you to have a bachelor’s degree or approved 360 credit diploma at NQF 6. The prior training you have received must include English, Afrikaans and two IP teaching subjects, at first or second year degree level. The IP subjects include Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Science and Life Skills.
If necessary, Cornerstone Institute allows you to study simultaneously for BA teaching subjects. Some courses offered include psychology, counseling, philosophy, sociology, leadership, theology and biblical studies as well as Mathematics, research methods and statistics.
Program Duration: Minimum One year for fulltime, Minimum two years part-time, maximum four years full-time or part-time.
Contact:
https://cornerstone.ac.za/programmes/postgraduate-postgraduate-certificates-studies/postgraduate-certificate-in-education-intermediate-phase/
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
The University of Witwatersrand offers a PGCE program that provides professional preparation for teaching Senior Phase (SP) grades 7-9. Other specialized training programs include Further Education and Training (FET, grades 10-12) phases of schooling. At Witwatersrand, the program is offered on both a full-time basis (lasting for 1 year) and a part-time basis (lasting for 2 years). For further information please contact the university.
Tel: 011 717 1102
Website: www.wits.ac.za
University of Johannesburg (UJ)
The Post Graduate Certificate in Education-PGCE, which is offered by the University of Johannesburg is open to interested candidates who have bachelor’s degrees in school subjects or an approved National Diploma including school subjects and who now wish to have professional qualifications that enable them to become teachers. This program runs for one-year full-time or two-year part-time.
The University Website: https://www.uj.ac.za/faculties/facultyofeducation/Pages/Programmes.aspx
The University of South Africa (UNISA)
The University of South Africa (UNISA) offers one PGCE qualification program to train graduates who wish to become school teachers. Holders of almost any degree can apply. After this qualification, students can be inducted into the South African Council for Educators (SACE).
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 27 21 650 5622
Website: http://www.education.uct.ac.za/edu/qualification/pgce
University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN)
The PGCE program at the University of Kwazulu Natal is open to students who already have degrees, or diplomas, but not directly related to education.
Interested students are to contact the UKZN Applications and Information Office on 031 260 2212/7877 to request application forms and the Postgraduate Application Guide.
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://applications.ukzn.ac.za›Postgraduate-Applicants
MANCOSA
MANCOSA offers Postgraduate Certificate in Education, specializing in Further Education and Training Teaching. This is designed as an 18-month program aimed at developing graduates who wish to become school teachers. Teaching choices may be selected from a list of specializations, and the students must have studied a related discipline.
Duration: 18 months (1.5 years.)
The minimum admission requirement is an approved bachelor’s degree in a related discipline or a diploma in a related discipline.
Where a student does not have qualifications in the requisite subject content knowledge, he would be required to enroll for training in such modules.
Website: https://www.mancosa.co.za
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria offers PGCE qualification in the specialization of Further Education and training. You are required to have a degree in a field that is relevant to or that corresponds to the school subject you wish to teach. You must have also received training in an official African language or in South African Sign Language.
https://www.up.ac.za
Central University of Technology
Free State, South Africa
The Central University of Technology offers a PGCE program. The program duration is One-year full time, or two years part time. Applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree or three-year diploma evaluated at NQF level 6 for the old structure, or NQF level 7 for the new structure. With 360 credits. Applicants must also have training in at least two school-related subjects.
Students will be monitored for performance and their ability to cope with the methodology.
Website: https://www.cut.ac.za/programmes/postgraduate-certificate-in-education-pgce
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Conclusion
PGCE programs are basically broken into the following:
PGCE Primary: This program enables you to teach children in primary school. You may only specialize in teaching a specific age group, or children in Primary schools, generally.
PGCE Secondary: This training enables you to teach high school learners.
PGCE Further/Adult Education: This training is tailored for individuals who want to teach in higher education institutions or adult education classes, helping them deal with the needs of Adult Education.