The Foundation Phase is a particularly exciting part of a child’s schooling career, and teaching these pupils can be an extremely rewarding experience. Through the IIE Bachelor of Education Phase Teaching, IIE MSA’s recently launched School of Education is preparing individuals for this fulfilling career path.
The Foundation Phase is when children first start to grapple with new found skills: previously random letters transform into words as they start reading, and numbers form fascinating patterns through mathematics. But this is just one aspect of Foundation Phase learning: under the right teacher’s guidance, children at this stage of their educational journey also develop key social and emotional skills, along with qualities like creativity, which will help them navigate critical scenarios once they reach the workplace. “We like to think that a solid Foundation Phase education helps children unlock their true potential,” enthuses André Lubbe, Campus Head at IIE MSA. “Our Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching is designed to impart the competencies and knowledge that help teachers do this with great proficiency.”
The IIE Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Foundation Phase Teaching (FPT) is a four-year Bachelor’s undergraduate qualification which equips graduates to teach learners in Grades R to 3. The course has been structured in accordance with the Department of Higher education and Training’s Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications and is aligned with the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework’s guidelines. It has been approved by the CHE/SAQA, with registration with the Department of Higher Education and Training pending.
“Although the degree aims to provide the skills and knowledge to teach Grades R-3, graduates increase their employability in other areas: they may, for example, find opportunities as tutors, or in positions such as school management and educational consulting (possibly subject to further study and experience),” André Lubbe says.
Entry requirements for the course include a National Senior Certificate, National Certificate (Vocational), Senior Certificate or Senior Certificate (amended), and applicants are expected to have achieved a 50% pass (or higher) in English in their National School Certificate or Senior Certificate qualification, either as a Home Language or First Additional Language. They should, moreover, also have obtained a Level 3 (40%) at the National School Certificate in the language they are seeking to study as a First Additional Language; alternatively, they should pass a language proficiency test in this language.
“Teaching is a wonderful career choice for people who are nurturers by nature. The Foundation Phase, especially, gives you an opportunity to guide and mentor young minds that are on the brink of a wonderfully exciting adventure, and who are hungry for knowledge,” André Lubbe says. People considering this career should be good communicators, he adds, and should be able to promote a lifelong love of learning.
“This is something we emphasise in the School of Education, which also includes a Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and a Bachelor Degree in Intermediate Phase Teaching. It is our hope that we will produce educators who make a solid contribution to their learners’ lives,” André Lubbe concludes.
For more information join the IIE MSA Open Day on 1 October 2022 from 9am till 1pm, or visit https://www.iiemsa.co.za/Course/bachelor-of-education-in-foundation-phase-teaching/ to read more about the IIE Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching.
