Wednesday 9 July 2014

Award winners set example at school


Award winners set example at school

 

TIRELESS community worker Phuti Rakgophala and her Pulamadibogo Permaculture Orphans and Vulnerable Resources Centre are shining examples of selflessness, sharing, caring and nurturing.

 


This humble winner of innovative early childhood development programmes in the 2009 South African ECD Awards is principal of the Pulamadibogo Primary School at Mankweng, east of Polokwane, in Limpopo.

This previous winner of the Premier's Award - among other kudos - is among several other award winners for academic and community-building excellence. The rest of the teaching staff and auxiliary workers at the school also carry an almost equal amount of dedication.

A former teacher at the school, David Modiba, is a former winner of the prestigious Aggrey Klaaste Maths, Science and Technology Educator of the Year Award. Modiba still keeps in touch with the school, explained Rakgophala in an interview at the school recently "because here we are a family and we all lead by example, both individually and collectively".

The other top achievers are Mmaphiri Mamabolo for the Edu Plant Greening Award, MP Motlhake and her team for having nurtured a world-winning schools rugby team and Stephina Rakgoale and her coaching team, who are in charge of a competitive schools cricket team.

Rakgophala, who was a finalist in the 2008 Shoprite Woman of the Year Award, said she, Modiba and other teachers and pupils have set the trend of giving part or all of their award proceeds to the school.

Rakgophala's R15000 prize money from the Premier's Award has been used for a palisade fence for safety and security.

"We have earmarked the R20 000 prize money from the ECD Awards for direly needed support materials for our pupils. Modiba's prize money was used to erect a new block," Rakgophala said.

Among other good things at the school, the parents have built four new classrooms. A local businessman, Solly Mohale, donated R12000 to help the parents.

We met parents Ephraim Thabane and Mamsy Mamabolo, who help around the school. Thabane takes care of the permaculture side of the school, ensuring that the school's poultry projects continue to feed destitute children and augment the school's coffers by selling eggs, chickens and fruits and vegetables to the community.

"We are also nurturing future pharmacists, biologists and agricultural scientists by ensuring that each pupil takes a turn in the gardens and the poultry sheds to learn about the herbs and the diverse farm produce," Rakgophala said.

Mamabolo helps keep the classrooms clean and with the sale of the fresh produce. Twenty-three other parents help the school with security, catering, cleaning and gardening.

One of the teachers, a man, inducting the school's eight ECD classes, is Dibakgeng Modiba. They use the latest innovative methods and this has ensured that their charges do well from Grade 1 onwards.

Reading, writing and competitive articulation is encouraged through books. Pupils buy books for only R3 each. Reading club-like sessions yield individual and group winners and the winners are given more books as prizes for their exemplary efforts.

One disturbing snag at the school is its asbestos roof. Asbestos causes asbestosis, inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestos. Parents and teachers worry about whether the children are affected over the seven years they spend at Pulamadibogo before venturing to higher primary school.

·         The South African ECD Awards is a project of Absa, Sowetan, SABC Education, Unicef, South African Congress for ECD, the Jim Joel Fund and the national social development and basic education departments.

Limpopo does IT again




Limpopo does IT again


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Phuti Ragophala is the second teacher from the province to win the Super Teacher Award.

A Limpopo school principal, Phuti Ragophala, scooped this year’s prestigious Super Teacher Award at a ceremony held at Montecasino in Fourways, Gauteng, recently.

Ragophala beat six other finalists to become the second teacher from Limpopo province to win the award, after Melia Moeketsi did so last year.

The award ceremony, hosted by the Internet Service Providers’ Association of South Africa (ISPA), is part of its association’s flagship initiative called Train the Teacher, which aims to “nurture high-quality” IT skills training in the country.

Teachers were invited to submit projects that could be used as tools to “promote and develop computer skills in their own schools and communities”. Ragophala’s project was judged to have fulfilled this requirement. She has also been exposed to the teacher training initiative.

Award winners receive prizes such as laptop computers, Blackberry smartphones and all-expenses-paid attendance at key IT conferences.
“I’m on top of the world,” said Ragophala. “The award makes me feel like a real superstar and it is an indication that hard work and ingenuity pay off in the end. I am really grateful to the organisers of the competition for giving us this platform to showcase projects that not only help our schools, but the broader community as well.”

The power of technology
She said she believed in the power of technology, not only for educational purposes, but for life in general. “I realise we are gradually becoming a paperless society. I make sure that my school embraces IT and we try to incorporate it into everything we do. My 32 teachers use computers to prepare lessons, enter learners’ marks and perform basic administrative duties.”

Ragophala said her 1 167 learners shared 40 computers and were showing growing confidence in using them to learn new things and do research for their academic work.

Her leadership extends beyond her school. She has started a poultry project which employs 25 community members and a food garden, all based within the school yard. The vegetables from the garden feed orphans and vulnerable learners, with some sold to generate income for the school.

“I teach the parents who work at the poultry project some basic computer skills. They have now acquired sufficient skills and can operate a computer to file, capture and record production activities and other related transactions.

“In the beginning, most of them could barely read and write and this proved to me that it is not qualifications that matter, but passion,” said Ragophala.

Two new awards were also handed out at the event: Trainer of the Year and ISPA ICT Champions. Sonnyboy Baloyi of Avuxeni Computer Academy won the former, while Barbara Heron of Parktown Boys’ High School in Johannesburg and Mmipe Mokgehle of Toronto Primary School in Limpopo won the latter.

Since its launch in 2001, the Train the Teacher programme has trained 2 238 teachers at more than 250 under-resourced and rural-based schools nationwide. A total of 26 projects were registered for the competition in the first phase of the awards.

Remarkable things unnoticed
The ISPA’s chairperson of the teacher training working group, Fiona Wallace, said she was “overawed” by the enthusiasm shown by teachers.
“This is our tenth anniversary and what we have been doing over the years was to train teachers in basic computer literacy. But in the course of this we realised there were those teachers who were doing remarkable things unnoticed, particularly in the rural parts of the country,” she said.

“These teachers display an amazing passion and most of them find themselves with no or very little support. They always go beyond the call of duty to take what we have given them to benefit their colleagues, learners and their immediate communities,” said Wallace.
Other finalists were: Thembi Mathobela, Adelaide Madiba and Alpheus Mogashoa, all from Toronto Primary School in Limpopo; Maoto Setaole of Mountainview Senior Secondary School in Limpopo; Judi Le Roux of Coffee Bay Christian Comprehensive School in the Eastern Cape and MJ Poopedi of Thokgwaneng Primary School in Limpopo.

Meanwhile, in a separate event held last month in Cape Town, Ragophala proved her technological savvy by bagging a Stars in Education award for her project for orphans and vulnerable children, which carried a prize of R10 000.

The awards are run by Argo, a multimedia communications company with a strong focus on education. Via Afrika is the sponsor while SABC’s commercial radio station, Metro FM, is a media partner.
 

ARGO article


Recognising past winners

2008:  Teacher recognised for taking the lead

The 2008 winner, Mokone Peter Mofokeng stood out for his commitment to go beyond the duties of the classroom to develop an ‘Alternatives to Violence’ programme to assist the youth at Motswela Secondary School (Maokeng, Kroonstad) in dealing with violence in the classroom.

One Monday morning, Mokone Peter Mofokeng was startled to hear that the previous Friday a teenage boy was severely assaulted by a teenage gang armed with knobkierries. As a result, Mofokeng partnered with a pastor from the area to develop workshops called ‘Alternatives to Violence’, to mentor the boys and provide them with the life skills and self esteem to help prevent gangsterism and violence.

Mr Mofokeng took the initiative and went for training as a workshop facilitator. He then took these skills and trained teachers at Matseripe Secondary School in Ventersberg to do the same. Together they ran workshops with 38 teenage boys and by 2008 they had 200 teenage learners and teachers who had completed the workshop.

The ‘Alternatives to Violence’ Programme still continues. The R10 000 prize money awarded by Argo for winning the Stars in Education Awards in recognition of his work went towards funding venues for future workshops.

“These young men are natural leaders. The difference is that before they were leading in gangs and now they lead in a good way,” - Mr Mofokeng.

Mr Mofokeng’s love for his work and recognition as one of our ‘Stars in Education’ encouraged him to continue the good work. In January 2012 he celebrated his 25th year in teaching and can still be found boldly leading the young men of Motswela Secondary School into a future knowing that violence isn’t the only solution. 

2009 - The Stars in Education winner shines at Education Week

The energy around the Stars in Education campaign started to grow with youth getting involved in recognising their star teachers on the Hectic 99 youth TV show, on radio and by entering on www.SAstudy.co.za and via the Q-ONE Student Diary and ACE Matric Guide. The campaign was also extensively advertised in the National Teachers Diary, and supported by leading education NGO’s, who encouraged entries from teachers. The level of entries showed growth and the quality of the entries astounded the judging panel, which included a range of education leaders. The judges were moved to tears as they read about the work that the teachers were doing in communities far removed from their own.

In 2009 the winner of The Stars in Education Awards was recognised at a lunchtime function at Education Week held at the Vodadome in Midrand, Johannesburg, which had an audience of over 500 education leaders.  Our winner, Mologadi Priscilla Maluleke was nominated by a learner, Khomotso Marakalla, who said this of her teacher ‘Mam’ Maluleke:“She is my mother and teacher, she cares for us as OVC’s and helps us with home activities, school uniforms, food parcels, presents and more”.

Mam Maluleke trained as an HIV Care worker in 2008 and in 2009 set up the Bophelong HIV and AIDS support group. A member of the group writes “I am well because of her” and that she is a woman with “perseverance and love”. Her entry included detailed records of her many visits to dozens of orphans and vulnerable children. One report tells of her helping a child after abuse and organising papers for children so they can receive grants. Her work extends to helping children with their homework, taking them to the clinic if they are sick, providing for them through a vegetable garden, organising eye tests and requesting support from community members and local businesses.

At the luncheon event at Education Week, Mologadi Maluleke moved the audience to tears when she received her prize of R10 000 from Argo, by showing her commitment to her learners, with her promise: “I’m going to use it to bring their happiness back!”

In 2012, we caught up with ‘Mam’ Maluleke. When asked if she is still teaching, she enthusiastically answered that her project had gone from strength to strength, growing in the way community members were educated about HIV – which goes hand in hand with supporting learners orphaned as a result of HIV. The prize money went towards buying the children calculators to practice maths, educational toys, puzzles and charts and posters for the classrooms. The OVC’s after-school classroom was also equipped with ironing boards and a kettle to better care for the children in the afternoons. Most importantly, she reports that the competition made a real difference to the community’s view of the centre, who now say the children no longer feel like orphans because of the centre. The members of the community have been motivated to come and help care for the children, cleaning the centre and mending the children’s clothing.

“The children are really interested in coming every afternoon and the little ones love playing very much”, says Mologadi.

One project need Mrs Maluleke reports is equipment like sewing machines and fabric so that HIV positive people can work and be kept busy.

2010 - Taking the Stars in Education awards to the community in which the teacher works

In 2010, Argo wanted to recognise the teacher in their community, to encourage community support for teachers. Argo arranged with the school principal of New West Secondary School to create a special assembly on 5 October 2010 (World Teachers’ Day) to present the winner, Roslyn Narain, with her award for her extraordinary contribution to her learners and her community. She was nominated by a learner, Shiksha Lutchmipersadh, who wrote of how her teacher had inspired her to get involved in projects herself. She was inspired by Mrs Narain’s dedication to various projects including a centre focused on teaching elderly members of the community to read and write.

In Roslyn’s case, we saw again how a dark moment could trigger the inspiration needed for a teacher to take action. Mrs Narain was moved to ask a learner about his depression and recent suicide attempt. “I just want my father to love me” was the learner’s desperate reply. Knowing she could not answer that need, Roslyn responded by developing a programme where toys were distributed to a local hospital and she asked the boy to be Father Christmas. In giving love to others, his self esteem was boosted and a “light bulb” went on for Roslyn Narain – her life was changed as she sought to impact the lives of others in many new ways.

The project that caught Stars in Education Awards judge’s attention was RAFAL – Roslyn’s Academy for Adult Learning, an ABET project answering the desperate need for Roslyn’s elderly neighbours in her community to learn to read and write. Roslyn started out as a volunteer educator in the National Government Literacy Programme called Khar Ri Gude in 2009. She then started her own academy with the help of sponsors and community members of Phoenix in 2010. One elderly woman in her early eighties commented “because of her I can read my name for the first time” and her family commented that since she had attended the classes she was more cheerful and suffered from fewer ailments. 

2011 - Recognition from SACE and education leaders

In 2011, the winners of the Stars in Education Awards were honoured at a South African Council for Educators (SACE) Gala Event in Cape Town on 7 October. SACE sponsored the attendance of the finalists at the event and invited them to attend the SACE Teachers Roundtable where they learned about the latest trends and issues in education and networked with education leaders, to share their insights on education. A film crew were also sent to the school to film the award presentation at a special assembly, to celebrate World Teacher’s Day.

THE WINNER: Phuti Ragophala from Pula Madibogo Primary School, Mankweng, Limpopo, Itsosheng.

Project: Permaculture and OVC Care Centre, IT Teach a Teacher project
“One day around 2002 a teacher came to me and reported a girl who was shivering and faint. She had not eaten the night before. We started to take her aside and give her food before class started”. - Phuti Ragophala, her teacher and the principal of the school, describes the moment that sparked a journey into a many-faceted project including permaculture, a chicken farm and community IT classes. The project addresses the hunger and need experienced by orphans and unemployed people in her Limpopo community.

“It is often that a teacher does not recognise the needy children. These children will not speak up; we need to be watching for the signs”.

Phuti Ragophala applies her energy and ideas to answering the needs of orphans in her area “What can I say, I am a woman, it feels like these children come from my own stomach!” she says with a smile.  Phuti makes every effort to recognise the unflagging dedication of her team of teachers and community team without whom she could never have turned an ex-rubbish dump into what Phuti calls “a forest of food”.

Over the years Phuti has dedicated her time to Eco schools competitions, selecting girls for the Oprah Winfrey Academy, organising school career days, encouraging the ‘adoption’ of orphaned learners, supporting prisoner’s learning and teaching teachers in other schools about IT. Her latest focus is a project which encourages anyone with knowledge to Teach-a-Teacher about IT. This passion won her the ISPA Super Teacher of the year a week before she received Stars in Education Award and a month later was recognised by the a special award from the CPSI (Centre for Public Service Innovation) from the office of the Minister of Public Works and Administration, Roy Padayachee for Selfless Leadership and Innovative Work in the Public Sector. About her passion for IT, Phuti quotes the saying “If you want to shoot birds, shoot where they are going, not where they are”, meaning that one must work with a vision of the future and be willing to change with the times.

Though many in surrounding rural Mankweng may face desperate levels of unemployment and HIV, the overriding feeling at Pula Madibogo Primary is that of enthusiasm and hope as Phuti’s passion overflows and seeks to influence high schools and the community at large.

2012 - Sponsors give the Awards greater impact

These inspirational stories of ordinary teachers doing extraordinary work and taking the lead in making a difference in their communities have encouraged industry leaders to get involved in supporting the Stars in Education awards, as it continues to recognise how teachers inspire others. Transnet Foundation, Mindset Learn, Macmillan, Cell C, The Star and MetroFM have taken the lead in recognising the vital role that teachers play in our communities.

Recognising past winners

2008:  Teacher recognised for taking the lead

The 2008 winner, Mokone Peter Mofokeng stood out for his commitment to go beyond the duties of the classroom to develop an ‘Alternatives to Violence’ programme to assist the youth at Motswela Secondary School (Maokeng, Kroonstad) in dealing with violence in the classroom.

One Monday morning, Mokone Peter Mofokeng was startled to hear that the previous Friday a teenage boy was severely assaulted by a teenage gang armed with knobkierries. As a result, Mofokeng partnered with a pastor from the area to develop workshops called ‘Alternatives to Violence’, to mentor the boys and provide them with the life skills and self esteem to help prevent gangsterism and violence.

Mr Mofokeng took the initiative and went for training as a workshop facilitator. He then took these skills and trained teachers at Matseripe Secondary School in Ventersberg to do the same. Together they ran workshops with 38 teenage boys and by 2008 they had 200 teenage learners and teachers who had completed the workshop.

The ‘Alternatives to Violence’ Programme still continues. The R10 000 prize money awarded by Argo for winning the Stars in Education Awards in recognition of his work went towards funding venues for future workshops.

“These young men are natural leaders. The difference is that before they were leading in gangs and now they lead in a good way,” - Mr Mofokeng.

Mr Mofokeng’s love for his work and recognition as one of our ‘Stars in Education’ encouraged him to continue the good work. In January 2012 he celebrated his 25th year in teaching and can still be found boldly leading the young men of Motswela Secondary School into a future knowing that violence isn’t the only solution. 

2009 - The Stars in Education winner shines at Education Week

The energy around the Stars in Education campaign started to grow with youth getting involved in recognising their star teachers on the Hectic 99 youth TV show, on radio and by entering on www.SAstudy.co.za and via the Q-ONE Student Diary and ACE Matric Guide. The campaign was also extensively advertised in the National Teachers Diary, and supported by leading education NGO’s, who encouraged entries from teachers. The level of entries showed growth and the quality of the entries astounded the judging panel, which included a range of education leaders. The judges were moved to tears as they read about the work that the teachers were doing in communities far removed from their own.

In 2009 the winner of The Stars in Education Awards was recognised at a lunchtime function at Education Week held at the Vodadome in Midrand, Johannesburg, which had an audience of over 500 education leaders.  Our winner, Mologadi Priscilla Maluleke was nominated by a learner, Khomotso Marakalla, who said this of her teacher ‘Mam’ Maluleke:“She is my mother and teacher, she cares for us as OVC’s and helps us with home activities, school uniforms, food parcels, presents and more”.

Mam Maluleke trained as an HIV Care worker in 2008 and in 2009 set up the Bophelong HIV and AIDS support group. A member of the group writes “I am well because of her” and that she is a woman with “perseverance and love”. Her entry included detailed records of her many visits to dozens of orphans and vulnerable children. One report tells of her helping a child after abuse and organising papers for children so they can receive grants. Her work extends to helping children with their homework, taking them to the clinic if they are sick, providing for them through a vegetable garden, organising eye tests and requesting support from community members and local businesses.

At the luncheon event at Education Week, Mologadi Maluleke moved the audience to tears when she received her prize of R10 000 from Argo, by showing her commitment to her learners, with her promise: “I’m going to use it to bring their happiness back!”

In 2012, we caught up with ‘Mam’ Maluleke. When asked if she is still teaching, she enthusiastically answered that her project had gone from strength to strength, growing in the way community members were educated about HIV – which goes hand in hand with supporting learners orphaned as a result of HIV. The prize money went towards buying the children calculators to practice maths, educational toys, puzzles and charts and posters for the classrooms. The OVC’s after-school classroom was also equipped with ironing boards and a kettle to better care for the children in the afternoons. Most importantly, she reports that the competition made a real difference to the community’s view of the centre, who now say the children no longer feel like orphans because of the centre. The members of the community have been motivated to come and help care for the children, cleaning the centre and mending the children’s clothing.

“The children are really interested in coming every afternoon and the little ones love playing very much”, says Mologadi.

One project need Mrs Maluleke reports is equipment like sewing machines and fabric so that HIV positive people can work and be kept busy.

2010 - Taking the Stars in Education awards to the community in which the teacher works

In 2010, Argo wanted to recognise the teacher in their community, to encourage community support for teachers. Argo arranged with the school principal of New West Secondary School to create a special assembly on 5 October 2010 (World Teachers’ Day) to present the winner, Roslyn Narain, with her award for her extraordinary contribution to her learners and her community. She was nominated by a learner, Shiksha Lutchmipersadh, who wrote of how her teacher had inspired her to get involved in projects herself. She was inspired by Mrs Narain’s dedication to various projects including a centre focused on teaching elderly members of the community to read and write.

In Roslyn’s case, we saw again how a dark moment could trigger the inspiration needed for a teacher to take action. Mrs Narain was moved to ask a learner about his depression and recent suicide attempt. “I just want my father to love me” was the learner’s desperate reply. Knowing she could not answer that need, Roslyn responded by developing a programme where toys were distributed to a local hospital and she asked the boy to be Father Christmas. In giving love to others, his self esteem was boosted and a “light bulb” went on for Roslyn Narain – her life was changed as she sought to impact the lives of others in many new ways.

The project that caught Stars in Education Awards judge’s attention was RAFAL – Roslyn’s Academy for Adult Learning, an ABET project answering the desperate need for Roslyn’s elderly neighbours in her community to learn to read and write. Roslyn started out as a volunteer educator in the National Government Literacy Programme called Khar Ri Gude in 2009. She then started her own academy with the help of sponsors and community members of Phoenix in 2010. One elderly woman in her early eighties commented “because of her I can read my name for the first time” and her family commented that since she had attended the classes she was more cheerful and suffered from fewer ailments. 

2011 - Recognition from SACE and education leaders

In 2011, the winners of the Stars in Education Awards were honoured at a South African Council for Educators (SACE) Gala Event in Cape Town on 7 October. SACE sponsored the attendance of the finalists at the event and invited them to attend the SACE Teachers Roundtable where they learned about the latest trends and issues in education and networked with education leaders, to share their insights on education. A film crew were also sent to the school to film the award presentation at a special assembly, to celebrate World Teacher’s Day.

THE WINNER: Phuti Ragophala from Pula Madibogo Primary School, Mankweng, Limpopo, Itsosheng.

Project: Permaculture and OVC Care Centre, IT Teach a Teacher project
“One day around 2002 a teacher came to me and reported a girl who was shivering and faint. She had not eaten the night before. We started to take her aside and give her food before class started”. - Phuti Ragophala, her teacher and the principal of the school, describes the moment that sparked a journey into a many-faceted project including permaculture, a chicken farm and community IT classes. The project addresses the hunger and need experienced by orphans and unemployed people in her Limpopo community.

“It is often that a teacher does not recognise the needy children. These children will not speak up; we need to be watching for the signs”.

Phuti Ragophala applies her energy and ideas to answering the needs of orphans in her area “What can I say, I am a woman, it feels like these children come from my own stomach!” she says with a smile.  Phuti makes every effort to recognise the unflagging dedication of her team of teachers and community team without whom she could never have turned an ex-rubbish dump into what Phuti calls “a forest of food”.

Over the years Phuti has dedicated her time to Eco schools competitions, selecting girls for the Oprah Winfrey Academy, organising school career days, encouraging the ‘adoption’ of orphaned learners, supporting prisoner’s learning and teaching teachers in other schools about IT. Her latest focus is a project which encourages anyone with knowledge to Teach-a-Teacher about IT. This passion won her the ISPA Super Teacher of the year a week before she received Stars in Education Award and a month later was recognised by the a special award from the CPSI (Centre for Public Service Innovation) from the office of the Minister of Public Works and Administration, Roy Padayachee for Selfless Leadership and Innovative Work in the Public Sector. About her passion for IT, Phuti quotes the saying “If you want to shoot birds, shoot where they are going, not where they are”, meaning that one must work with a vision of the future and be willing to change with the times.

Though many in surrounding rural Mankweng may face desperate levels of unemployment and HIV, the overriding feeling at Pula Madibogo Primary is that of enthusiasm and hope as Phuti’s passion overflows and seeks to influence high schools and the community at large.

2012 - Sponsors give the Awards greater impact

These inspirational stories of ordinary teachers doing extraordinary work and taking the lead in making a difference in their communities have encouraged industry leaders to get involved in supporting the Stars in Education awards, as it continues to recognise how teachers inspire others. Transnet Foundation, Mindset Learn, Macmillan, Cell C, The Star and MetroFM have taken the lead in recognising the vital role that teachers play in our communities.

Award winners set example at school


Award winners set example at school

 

TIRELESS community worker Phuti Rakgophala and her Pulamadibogo Permaculture Orphans and Vulnerable Resources Centre are shining examples of selflessness, sharing, caring and nurturing.

This humble winner of innovative early childhood development programmes in the 2009 South African ECD Awards is principal of the Pulamadibogo Primary School at Mankweng, east of Polokwane, in Limpopo.

This previous winner of the Premier's Award - among other kudos - is among several other award winners for academic and community-building excellence. The rest of the teaching staff and auxiliary workers at the school also carry an almost equal amount of dedication.

A former teacher at the school, David Modiba, is a former winner of the prestigious Aggrey Klaaste Maths, Science and Technology Educator of the Year Award. Modiba still keeps in touch with the school, explained Rakgophala in an interview at the school recently "because here we are a family and we all lead by example, both individually and collectively".

The other top achievers are Mmaphiri Mamabolo for the Edu Plant Greening Award, MP Motlhake and her team for having nurtured a world-winning schools rugby team and Stephina Rakgoale and her coaching team, who are in charge of a competitive schools cricket team.

Rakgophala, who was a finalist in the 2008 Shoprite Woman of the Year Award, said she, Modiba and other teachers and pupils have set the trend of giving part or all of their award proceeds to the school.

Rakgophala's R15000 prize money from the Premier's Award has been used for a palisade fence for safety and security.

"We have earmarked the R20 000 prize money from the ECD Awards for direly needed support materials for our pupils. Modiba's prize money was used to erect a new block," Rakgophala said.

Among other good things at the school, the parents have built four new classrooms. A local businessman, Solly Mohale, donated R12000 to help the parents.

We met parents Ephraim Thabane and Mamsy Mamabolo, who help around the school. Thabane takes care of the permaculture side of the school, ensuring that the school's poultry projects continue to feed destitute children and augment the school's coffers by selling eggs, chickens and fruits and vegetables to the community.

"We are also nurturing future pharmacists, biologists and agricultural scientists by ensuring that each pupil takes a turn in the gardens and the poultry sheds to learn about the herbs and the diverse farm produce," Rakgophala said.

Mamabolo helps keep the classrooms clean and with the sale of the fresh produce. Twenty-three other parents help the school with security, catering, cleaning and gardening.

One of the teachers, a man, inducting the school's eight ECD classes, is Dibakgeng Modiba. They use the latest innovative methods and this has ensured that their charges do well from Grade 1 onwards.

Reading, writing and competitive articulation is encouraged through books. Pupils buy books for only R3 each. Reading club-like sessions yield individual and group winners and the winners are given more books as prizes for their exemplary efforts.

One disturbing snag at the school is its asbestos roof. Asbestos causes asbestosis, inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestos. Parents and teachers worry about whether the children are affected over the seven years they spend at Pulamadibogo before venturing to higher primary school.
The South African ECD Awards is a project of Absa, Sowetan, SABC Education, Unicef, South African Congress for ECD, the Jim Joel Fund and the national social development and basic education depart

Meet the top of the teaching crop: Phuti Ragophala


Meet the top of the teaching crop: Phuti Ragophala

2011-10-16 10:00


Phuti Ragophala, a 53-year-old Limpopo school principal and married mother of three,has won this year’s prestigious Stars in Education award. Picture: Lebogang Makwela


When Phuti Ragophala noticed growing numbers of poor learners, orphans and unemployed parents linked to her school seven years ago, she knew it was time to do something about it.

The 53-year-old Limpopo school principal established a community farming project at her Pula-madibong Primary School in Mankweng, east of Polokwane, to help impart skills and create jobs for the mostly illiterate locals.

The married mother of three, a teacher for the past 24 years, wanted to use the Pula-madibong Itsoseng Permaculture Orphans and Vulnerable Children Resource Centre to help reduce the level of poverty by growing and selling vegetables and herbs, and raising chickens for sale.

“Learners from impoverished families were here. Torn school uniforms! No shoes! No what! All those challenges were facing me as principal. As a principal, I must make sure everyone is developed,” Ragophala said.

Ragophala’s efforts were rewarded this week when she walked away with the prestigious Stars in Education 2011 award.

Organised by the South African Council of Education, it celebrates the outstanding contribution that teachers make to the lives of our youth.

According to the Cape Town-based organisation, she was recognised “for turning a former dumping site into
what she calls a forest of food that benefits community members, orphans and neighbouring schools”.

Not bad for someone who became a teacher after failing to be admitted to nursing college.

Ragophala, who walked between 15km and 30km to school when she was a primary school pupil back home in Bochum, mobilised successful former learners of Pula-madibogo to give back to the community by adopting poor learners. So far, eight learners have been adopted.

She also organised computer training for her school’s 25 support staff members – illiterate and unemployed parents who had been volunteering for many years as labourers, cleaners and security guards in exchange for stipends.

Carthbertina Mothiba (39), a volunteer since 2007, said she was now able to use a computer to draw up budgets, type, write minutes and keep records.

“My wish is to be hired as a clerk at the school one day. That is my dream,” she said.

Jerrica Kgopa (13), a Grade?7 learner, said she already knew “how to type and store documents on the computer”.

A proud Ragophala said: “It’s quite amazing. I got two big awards within two weeks. What amazed the judges was that the unemployed parents, the so-called illiterate parents, are able to integrate IT with the sweeping, cleaning and running of the project. It is possible.”

Because the rules of the competition demanded that the R10?000 prize money be used for the development of the school’s support staff members, Ragophala decided to divide it among them, adding they will get R400 each.

“I enter competitions, but I do not use the money. I give it to them. But I said that the money must be used for the school needs of their kids. I want to see tangible things,” Ragophala added.

Ragophala, who holds a diploma in project management from Unisa, plans to retire in two years’ time and register a non-profit organisation to help poor beneficiaries of the country’s land restitution programme.

- City Press

 

 

South Africa’s Top Teacher Named by ISPA


South Africa’s Top Teacher Named by ISPA

Phuti Ragophala has been named South Africa’s ‘Super Teacher of the Year 2011′ by the Internet Service Providers` Association of SA (ISPA) at an awards ceremony held at Montecasino in Fourways, Johannesburg last week.

Ms Ragophala from Pula Madibogo Primary School in Limpopo was amongst eight finalists identified by ISPA as having best utilized their newly-acquired computer skills knowledge for the benefit of their communities after participating in ISPA’s ‘Train the Teacher’ Initiative.

The 10^th Anniversary of this initiative also saw two new awards presented for the first time. Fiona Wallace, Chairperson of ISPA’s Teacher Training Working Group, presented Sonnyboy Baloyi with the Trainer of the Year Award while Barbara Heron of Parktown Boys’ High School in Johannesburg, and Mmipe Mokgehle of Toronto Primary School in Limpopo, were named as ISPA ICT Champions.

The awards formed part of iWeek, South Africa`s premier Internet industry event, which ran for most of last week. The award winners received prizes such as laptop computers, Blackberry smartphones and all-expenses paid attendance at key IT conferences, boosting both their opportunities for personal advancement and their ability to offer training to their learners.

Recognising the growing need for computer skills training and the importance of computer-literate teachers, ISPA established ‘Train the Teacher’ in December 2001. To date, ISPA has successfully trained some 2238 educators at more than 250 under-resourced and rural schools nationwide.

The annual ‘Super Teacher of the Year’ Award invited educators to compete with projects through which they are promoting and developing computer skills in their own schools and communities.

Twenty-six projects were registered for the competition in the first phase of the awards. Each project was assessed according to the teachers’ use of newly-acquired computer skills in their own teaching practice as well as their use of their skills for the benefit of their colleagues, learners or wider community.

The seven Super Teacher of the Year finalists were Thembi Mathobela, Adelaide Madiba, and Alpheus Mogashoa, all from Toronto Primary in Limpopo; Phuti Ragophala of Pula-Madibogo Primary in Limpopo; Maoto Setaole of Mountainview Senior Secondary School in Limpopo; Judi Le Roux of Coffee Bay Christian Comprehensive School in Eastern Cape; and MJ Poopedi of Thokgwaneng Primary School in Limpopo.

ISPA’s Teacher Training programme this year has received support from a growing list of sponsors including Uniforum SA, MTN Business, Internet Solutions, Adept Internet, eNetworks, MWEB, Neotel, Avuxeni Computer Academy, Future Foundation and Switch Telecom.

Published: Monday, September 26th, 2011

Issued By:
Name: Ivan Booth
Company: Reliable Sources PR
Phone Number: 082 851 7419
Email Address:

More Info :
Name: Elaine Zinn
Company: ISPA Secretariat
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SADTU STATEMENT ON ITS MEMBER HONOURED BY MICROSOFT

04 December 2013                                                                                           

SADTU member is a Microsoft expert educator

 SADTU is proud to announce that one of its members who is a principal of a primary school in Limpopo,   has been chosen as a global leader in using technology to transform education.

Phuti Ragophala, Principal and EMS teacher for Grade 7 at Pula-Madibogo Primary school in Mankweng, Limpopo applied to be selected together with 29 000 teachers world-wide. She and 249 others were selected Microsoft’s Expert Educators. .

She is one of the two Expert Educators selected from South Africa.  Her counterpart is Sheryl Douglas from a High School in the Western Cape.

As an Expert Educator, Ragophala has been invited to attend the Microsoft in Education Global Forum in Barcelona, Spain in March 2014. She will also receive a free Microsoft Surface RT device for her school, insider access to Microsoft strategy and technologies and professional and career development opportunities and certifications including peer coaching.

Ragophala had to undergo a rigorous application process. She had to fill out an online application, create a learning activity and a two-to- three minute video that describes her project and how she used technology and innovative teaching practices to influence learner outcomes.

She was selected for her project “Planting seeds! Changing lives! That talks about sectors of economy (different states on how food is produced); technological tools that were used to enhance teaching and learning and how the lesson impacted learners and community members.

 “Being a Microsoft Expert educator will help me to increase learning outcomes for my students, as well as drive technology in education on a global stage. I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected as one of Microsoft Educators. I look forward to making the most of the mentoring and learning opportunities that are now available to me” she said.

The winners were selected by a worldwide group of judges who used a broad set of criteria to assess the educators’ evidence of learning, collaboration, knowledge construction and critical thinking, among other things.

“To be considered for an Expert Educator, educators must demonstrate a commitment to innovation and the ability to overcome obstacles in preparing students to be 21st century learners. Educators are selected based on their innovation, leadership skills and effective use of technology for better learning and student’s outcome,” Anthony  Sacito, Vice President, Worldwide Education, Microsoft Corp said.

However, these teachers should not only do innovative work in the classroom; they should be actively mentoring others and creating change in their own education systems. They should set examples for their peers, Sacito explained.

That is exactly what Ragophala does. She always encourages her teachers to take part in IT workshops, to use IT in the classroom and has addressed many platforms encouraging teachers and communities about the importance of IT.

Her selection by Microsoft is another milestone in a series of achievements she had acquired previously. In 2011 she was a recipient of Stars in Education Award, which recognizes teachers who go an extra mile in bringing positive change in learners and surrounding communities. While last year she was honoured by Internet Service Provider Association (ISPA) for being a teacher who best used her newly acquired computer skills for the benefit of her community. 

Ragophala’ s win could not have come at a better time for her and the school.

Her computer laboratory is not a laboratory but a classroom with 42 computers of which only 16 are in working order.  It is hot as there is no air conditioning.  The school has to foot the bill to service the computers and to buy data bundles in order to connect to the internet. It is hard to keep these machines running all the time as the government is not providing finances for the laboratory.  The school has to therefore work hard to fundraise 

ISSUED BY:  SADTU Secretariat

CONTACT

General Secretary, Mugwena Maluleke                     082 783 2968

Deputy General Secretary, Nkosana Dolopi               082 709 5157

Media Officer, Nomusa Cembi                                      082 719 5157