Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching

The STADIO Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching is a formal qualification aimed at people who want to work with young children in the Foundation Phase of a school, from Grade R to Grade 3.

The Foundation Phase is the first phase of formal schooling in South Africa, and is very important in establishing the basis on which learners will grow in formal schooling. Learners who do well in the Foundation Phase in general will do well in later phases.

The Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching will enable you to promote the child’s social, physical, intellectual and emotional development. It is your care, oversight and attention to detail that will help young children grow to their full potential.

FURTHER STUDY OPPORTUNITIES

Once you have passed the Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching, you may continue your studies towards a relevant Honours degree. 

What is Distance Learning?

THE ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR THE BACHELOR OF EDUCATION IN FOUNDATION PHASE TEACHING ARE:

If you obtained your matric from 2008 onwards:

• a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with:

  • a minimum of 50% in four 20-credit subjects; and

  • a minimum of 50% for English (either Home Language or First Additional Language) OR

• a National Senior Certificate – Vocational Level 4 (NC(V)) with a minimum of 60% in three fundamental subjects including English and Mathematics; and a minimum of 70% in four vocational subjects

If you obtained your matric before 2008:

• a Senior Certificate (SC) with degree endorsement; and a minimum of 50% (D) in English; OR

• the STADIO Higher Certificate in Pre-School Education (NQF Level 5); OR

• the STADIO Diploma in Grade R Teaching (NQF Level 6); OR 

• a Higher Certificate (NQF Level 5), Advanced Certificate (NQF Level 6) or Diploma (NQF Level 6) in the field of:

  • Education; OR 

  • Early Childhood Development N4-N6 (National N Diploma); OR

  • Adult Basic Education (ABET Level 5)

In addition, applicants will be required to submit a Teaching Affidavit with their application. You may download it HERE and submit upon application.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

LANGUAGE

Due to the language requirements of the Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching, you can currently only enrol in this qualification if you have passed one of the following home languages and first additional languages at Grade 12 or NQF Level4:

• Afrikaans

• English

• IsiXhosa 

• isiZulu

• Sepedi

• Setswana

• Xitsonga

SCHOOL-BASED TEACHING PRACTICE

Teaching practice is an integral part of teacher education that provides you with the opportunity to experience the excitement of a classroom environment and contributes to your professional development as a future teacher. Teaching practice is compulsory in the Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching programme, in every year of study. Various teaching practice assessment methods are used during this time to evaluate the student, including reports from the school, the School of Education (SOE) teaching practice assessor, the school mentors, and your eventual Portfolio of Evidence. In addition, the SOE monitors and verifies the placement of all students at schools. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for leave from an employer for the required number of weeks for teaching practice in schools. 

A student can only commence with teaching practice once the placement has been verified by the Teaching Practice Department of the SOE. 

Please note the following:
You will have to spend a minimum of 21 weeks over a 4-year period in a different South African school in foundation phase (Grades R-3) under the supervision of a mentor teacher as part of your studies. A student must experience teaching in all the foundation phase grades. You are required to attend the school from Monday to Friday for the full duration of the school day. Transport costs to and from school are to the account of the student. 

If you are already employed at a school, your school must meet the minimum requirements for a functional school and your mentor teacher must be suitably qualified. If your school does not meet our minimum requirements or you don’t have a suitably qualified teacher in your school who can act as a mentor teacher, you will have to spend your teaching practice weeks in another school. You are required to provide a letter of employment from the school to the Teaching Practice Department. 

You will be required to video-record and/or audio-record some lesson presentations and post-lesson observation discussions and upload these to the Learning Management System for marking, so you have to ensure that you have a suitable tablet or laptop device with sufficient storage space and data, as stipulated in the Minimum System Requirements section of this Fact Sheet.

To find out more about alternate access routes at STADIO, please click HERE

1. Competence in reading, writing and speaking the language of instruction in order to enhance their own learning and learning in classrooms.

2. Technological skills and literacy to facilitate their own academic learning, and enhance teaching, learning and assessment in their classrooms.

3. Sound and current disciplinary subject knowledge underpinning the subjects they will be teaching and the ability to research and integrate indigenous knowledge into the classroom.

4. Knowledge of the foundation phase curriculum (Mathematics, Languages and Life Skills) and how to select, determine the sequence and pace of content in accordance with both subject and learner needs.

5. Competence in curriculum differentiation in order to select, use and adjust teaching and learning strategies in ways which meet the diverse needs of the learners and the context.

6. Knowledge of the foundation phase curriculum (Mathematics, Languages and Life Skills) to strategically select, design, use, and evaluate Learner Teacher Support Material to enhance learning progress and the holistic development of all learners.

7. Knowledge and ability to evaluate and integrate relevant regulatory policies such as the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements and related documents into teaching and learning.

8. Competence in selecting and implementing reliable and varied ways of assessing and monitoring learner progress and achievement to analyse and use the results of assessment to improve teaching and learning.

9. Competence in identifying and address barriers to learning and social challenges and work in partnership with professional service providers to address these where appropriate.

10. Competence in planning, leading, managing and administrating in diverse learning contexts.

11. Create and maintain caring, supportive and empowering environments for learners, and supporting learners in ways that are sensitive, stimulating, democratic and well-organised.

12. Competence in communicating accurately, coherently and effectively by means of oral, written, and technological skills when engaging with relevant stakeholders within the school context and community.

13. Ability to reflect critically, in theoretically informed ways and in conjunction with their professional community of colleagues, on their own teaching philosophy and practice.

14. Sound theoretical knowledge and critical understanding of the role of the teacher and schools in society by identifying, explaining, analysing and evaluating the complex relationships between education, the individual and society in the context of local, national and global change.

15. Sound knowledge of educational policy, aims, outcomes and practices within the context of the Constitution and Human Rights and its relevance to democratic transformation and participate in critical discourse that can contribute to school policy change and teaching practice.

16. Respect for and commitment to the educator profession and that they can function ethically, responsibly and professionally within the education system, an institution, and the school community.

17. 21st Century skills and beginning research skills that will enable them to pursue life-long learning and post-graduate studies in Education.

18. Basic conversational competence in at least one African language.