Page 15 - IFV Issue 1 2023

Education

From Classroom to Boardroom, opportunities abound

he education profession has
come a long way in the last few
Tdecades with the growth of the
private education sector and, whereas
previously, career options for graduates
were limited, prospects now abound,
an education expert says.
“Because graduates are in demand
both domestically and abroad, teaching
credentials have grown in popularity. The
teaching profession’s career development
has also adopted a new perspective in
which teachers can move up the ladder,
from being school mentors to leadership
positions, such as becoming the vice
chancellor of a university,” says Dr Lindiwe
Mokotjo, Head of Faculty: Education at The
Independent Institute of Education.
“Where previously, teachers would
mostly be headed to a classroom for
the duration of their career, with only
a handful being promoted to heads of
department, deputy headmaster or a
principal, they now have a wide range
of options on top of teaching including,
but not limited to, instructional design,
tutoring, coaching, school management,
educational consulting and the option
of joining the world of private corporate
education. Additionally, there is also
great demand for qualified South African
teachers abroad,” Mokotjo says.
The way future teachers should be
prepared has drastically changed as a
result of the expansion of the teaching
profession. The transformation includes
understanding the material being taught,
how it is being taught, the setting in which
learners are being taught, and the fact
that each learner is unique and capable of
excelling when working with a qualified
teacher, says Mokotjo.
“Teachers play a vital role in shaping
future generations. Schools of education
therefore must be focused on preparing
dynamic and skilled teachers that will be

The Villager • Issue 1 2023 • 13